Five talking points ahead of Paris St-Germain v Celtic

Celtic travel to France for their Champions League game against big-spending Paris St Germain on Wednesday night.

Here are the five main talking points ahead of the Group B fixture in the French capital...

Griffiths or Dembele to lead the line for Celtic?

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Will Brendan Rodgers opt for Moussa Dembele, left, or Leigh Griffiths up front in Paris? Pictures: SNS GroupWill Brendan Rodgers opt for Moussa Dembele, left, or Leigh Griffiths up front in Paris? Pictures: SNS Group
Will Brendan Rodgers opt for Moussa Dembele, left, or Leigh Griffiths up front in Paris? Pictures: SNS Group

French striker Moussa Dembele has returned to the Celtic starting line-up in recent weeks following another spell out with injury and he scored a hat-trick in 12 minutes for France Under-21s last week.

However, it was Griffiths who boss Brendan Rodgers had to call upon for help when the Hoops were struggling against Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday.

The Scotland striker, back from a calf injury, climbed off the bench to score a 30-yard free-kick to give the league leaders all three points while extending their unbeaten domestic run to 64 games.

Once again, Rodgers is left with a welcome dilemma for what is sure to be a tough night in Paris.

Will Brendan Rodgers opt for Moussa Dembele, left, or Leigh Griffiths up front in Paris? Pictures: SNS GroupWill Brendan Rodgers opt for Moussa Dembele, left, or Leigh Griffiths up front in Paris? Pictures: SNS Group
Will Brendan Rodgers opt for Moussa Dembele, left, or Leigh Griffiths up front in Paris? Pictures: SNS Group

Will Nir Bitton retain his place in the Celtic defence?

Centre-back Jozo Simunovic was back on the bench for the trip to Ross County on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury. Danish defender Erik Sviatchenko is back in training following a knee complaint but is still working his way back to full fitness.

Bitton, a midfielder, has been moved back in times of need and once again partnered Dedryck Boyata in defence. Perhaps significantly, Rodgers was at pains to praise the Israel international after the game against County.

Rodgers tactics?

Brendan Rodgers has refused to compromise his way of playing when up against the top clubs in Europe. The Northern Irishman insists he will not ‘park the bus’ and will encourage his players to stick to their game.

However, after 5-0 home defeat to PSG in September, will he take a more pragmatic approach?

What price a Celtic win?

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PSG trounced the Hoops 5-0 in the opening Group B fixture at Parkhead. Celtic have lost twice to Bayern Munich and beaten Anderlecht since.

The narrow 2-1 defeat to the Bundesliga side at Parkhead last month will have given the Scottish champions some encouragement but the Paris club, with the £400 million-plus trio Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, appear to be a level above and are heavy odds-on to win.

Celtic will be looking to put up a better fight this time but it is difficult to make a case for a Hoops win.

How will PSG approach the game?

With four wins out of four, the French club has already qualified for the knockout stages. Second-placed Bayern are also through having taken nine points from 12. PSG have a top of the table clash with Monaco at the weekend. However, boss Unai Emery stressed that he wants top spot which brings a seeding for the last-16 draw.

However, PSG will clinch first place if they win and Bayern do not, or if they draw and Bayern lose so Celtic can expect their star-studded opponents to be fully-focused.