Lorient vs PSG: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
By Sean Walsh
Paris Saint-Germain return to Ligue 1 action on Wednesday as they travel to Lorient for their final game before Christmas.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have won just one of their last three league games, but remain 13 points clear at the top of the table and it would take an implosion of epic proportions for their rivals to catch them now.
The Parisians have comfortably triumphed in each of their last three matches in all competitions, however. A 4-1 victory at home to Club Brugge in the Champions League was followed by a 2-0 win against Monaco, while they beat Feignies Aulnoye 3-0 in the Coupe de France on Sunday.
Up next they face a Lorient side who have lost their last eight games and are without a win since September, with relegation back to Ligue 2 staring them in the face at the moment.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of this one...
How to watch Lorient vs PSG on TV/live stream
When is kick off? Wednesday 22 December, 20:00 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? Stade du Moustoir
TV channel/live stream? BT Sport 2 (UK), beIN Sports (US & Canada)
Highlights? Ligue 1/BT Sport YouTube Channel
Referee? Anthony Gautier
Lorient team news
Head coach Christophe Pelissier is not expected to be able to call upon Fabien Lemoine and Jeremy Morel until January due to respective muscle injuries, but those are the only notable absences that he'll have to contend with.
PSG team news
The headline news is that Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will both miss this tie in Brittany, with the Brazilian working his way back from an ankle problem and the Frenchman suspended.
However, Lionel Messi is likely to slot back into the starting lineup after sitting out their Coupe de France win at the weekend, while Julian Draxler and Nuno Mendes could make their returns after spending time on the treatment table.
Like Mbappe, Marco Verratti is also suspended, and Juan Bernat's comeback isn't expected to be risked until 2022 following a hamstring injury.
You can read PSG's predicted lineup here.
Lorient vs PSG head to head record
Against all odds, Lorient managed to beat PSG in this fixture last season. A brace of Neymar penalties put the visitors 2-1 up, but late goals from Yoane Wissa - now of Brentford - and Terem Moffi saw the Parisians fall to a shock defeat.
Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah was also involved for Lorient that day too, making a huge impact off the bench and inflicting Pochettino's first defeat in charge of PSG.
But that result is Lorient's only victory against PSG in their last 15 games - a 1-0 win at Parc des Princes in August 2011 was their last win against the giants from the capital prior to last season's upset.
Lorient vs PSG score prediction
Any side that loses Neymar and Mbappe in the lead-up to a match is sure to be worse, but PSG still have plenty of firepower in their absence.
Messi will be determined to enter the mini winter break with more than a solitary Ligue 1 goal to his name, while this is also a chance for others to step up and prove their worth in the absence of two star men.
Lorient are in desperate need of points in their fight for survival, but don't count on them taking any here.
Prediction: Lorient 0-2 PSG