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Didier Deschamps & Antoine Kombouare Shuffle Squads For Marseille-PSG Encounter – Report

There could be some unexpected changes in the two side's squads for Friday night's match...

Nov 20, 2009 4:29:10 PM

Ligue 1 : Fabrice Abriel (Marseille) vs Jean II Makoun (Lyon)

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Ligue 1 : Fabrice Abriel (Marseille) vs Jean II Makoun (Lyon)

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Friday evening’s Clasico between Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain could see both head coaches make surprising changes to their respective starting XIs.

Home trainer Didier Deschamps is expected to veer away from his regular 4-4-2 diamond formation and may well experiment with a 4-3-3 system, which will likely see Brandao as the focal point of the offence, as expected, flanked by Mamadou Niang and Fabrice Abriel or Mathieu Valbuena.

The big surprise, however, could come in defence, where Souleymane Diawara could be relegated to the bench after some inconsistent showings. Brazilian centre-back Hilton has been in strong form since returning to the starting XI and could team up with fellow South American Gabriel Heinze in the middle of the back four, allowing Taye Taiwo to fill the void vacated by the Argentine at left-back.

In addition, Lucho Gonzalez is also expected to feature in the side to start the game.

Deschamps is not the only coach poised to make changes. Antoine Kombouare is also reportedly ready to throw a curveball by also fielding a 4-3-3 system.

Surprisingly, experienced midfielder Ludovic Giuly could be sacrificed for Christophe Jallet, while Zoumana Camara, who is ready to return to competitive football for the first time since suffering from phlebitis in pre-season, could replace Sammy Traore in the heart of the rearguard.

Neither side boasts an especially strong league position, so Friday evening’s match will be vital in gaining some momentum for both teams.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

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