PSG will get one hand on the Ligue 1 crown should they secure all three points against Angers on Friday night.
Top of the table PSG will travel to Pays de la Loire to take on bottom placed Angers SCO in the Friday kick-off in Ligue 1 this week.
Christophe Galtier’s side are smarting from their win over title contenders RC Lens last time out and have now built up an eight-point lead at the summit with seven games to go. It can be argued that another win on the night will more or less see Paris Saint-Germain take a giant leap towards successfully defending their crown.
Angers, on the other hand, are fighting what looks to be an increasingly unlikely battle against relegation. With just seven games to go, they are 17 points off safety in a campaign that looks destined to experience the drop. Their return to Ligue 2 after nine year gap could be confirmed as early as this weekend should they lose results elsewhere go against them.
PSG appear to have re-discovered their swagger and were methodical in dispatching ten-man Lens last weekend. Kylian Mbappe also got onto the scoresheet and it should take the burden off Lionel Messi in the runup to yet another domestic crown.
On paper and otherwise, the game is akin to that of David vs Goliath and Angers should have their work cut out for the match. In terms of a difference in quality, it does not get any wider than this right now in Ligue 1.ย The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Angers SCO
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โ๏ธ ร partir de 15h45
๐ฑ Live-tweet
๐บ Disponible sur SCOTV en fin dโaprรจs-midi pic.twitter.com/b6GsKliTBs— Angers SCO (@AngersSCO) April 19, 2023
The home side’s form has plummeted off a cliff this season and relegation seems to be an all but inevitable conclusion. Facing PSG while your top-flight survival is on the cards is a difficult proposition, let alone having to deal with suspensions and injuries.
Angers will be without Nabil Bentaleb, who is suspended for the match. Those injured include Ilyes Chetti, Ali Kalla, Farid El Melali, Amine Salama, Pierrick Capelle, Miha Blazic and Ulrick Eneme-Ella. Alexandre Dujeux should have his work cut out for the night.
As if it could not get any worse, Halid Sabanovic and Cedric Hountondji are both facing a race against time to prove their fitness. PSG have their own injury concerns, but at least in this aspect, Angers knock them out of the park.
A 5-3-2 formation appears to be the one for the day with a defensive setup more or less expected. Paul Bernardoni should start in goal behind the back five of Lilian Rao-Lisoa, Yan Valery, Abdoulaye Bamba, Faouzi Ghoulam, and Justin-Noel Kalumba.
Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Batista Mendy and Adrien Hunou will aim to hold the fort in midfield which could open up space for Rao-Lisoa and Kalumba to push forward. This represents their best chance to hit PSG out wide.
Himad Abdelli and Ibrahima Niane should start upfront and attempt to stun a PSG defence that has proven to be full of holes at times. Angers will have their task cut out and have little to lose by taking the game to their opponents.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Bernardoni; Rao-Lisoa, Valery, Bamba, Ghoulam, Kalumba; Bahoya, Mendy, Hunou; Abdelli, Niane
Paris Saint-Germain
Christophe Galtier will be pleased with the resolve his side have shown over the past two matchdays following a series of stinging defeats at home. Back to back wins have more or less resurrected PSG’s title defence. And a third victory in a row on Friday will see them take another step closer to being champions.
Neymar and Presnel Kimpembe are both ruled out for the season. while Timothee Pembele, Renato Sanches, Nordi Mukiele, and Marco Verratti are all out for the game.ย Unlike Angers, PSG have options of similar quality to call upon and will go into the game as heavy favourites. Perhaps importantly, Kylian Mbappe’s return to form will make the visitors’ job all the more easy.
๐ญโฝ๏ธ๐ช๐ผ๐บ #SCOPSG pic.twitter.com/SNG4kst6Ff
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 19, 2023
PSG are likely to stick with the 3-5-2 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma starting in goal. He is likely to be protected by the backline of Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos and Danilo Pereira.
Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will be tasked with providing width on the flanks, while the trio of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Carlos Soler will provide the quality in central midfield.ย The front two of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe more or less choose themselves. The duo are likely to make the difference for the visitors and are a cut above the home side in terms of quality.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Marquinhos, Ramos, Pereira; Hakimi, Soler, Ruiz, Vitinha, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe
Key Stats
- PSG are unbeaten in their previous 28 games against Angers in all competitions. This is their best against a single opponent.ย PSG are also on a 15-game winning streak against Angers. This is dwarfed by only their 17 game winning run against Nantes from 2007 to 2019.
- Angers have lost their last 13 Ligue 1 games against PSG, the second worst losing streak by any French top flight side against a specific opponent.
- Should they lose and see other results go against them, Angers could become the first side in Ligue 1 history to be relegated by Matchday 31.
- PSG have won 17 of their last 18 games against sides placed at the bottom of the league. The lone loss in this run came in 2019 vs Dijon.
- Avoiding defeat on the night will see Angers extend their unbeaten run at home in Ligue 1 to three games, their best run since 2020.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
It is no coincidence that PSG’s form plummeted when Mbappe’s goals dried up. The Frenchman is back among the goals now and has helped the defending champions rediscover their swagger. He will once again be key on Friday and will serve as the visitors front most player for the game.
The ability to move into channels and with pace to burn, Mbappe will have every opportunity to torment Angers and pull away in the race for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot. If anything, it will come as a surprise should he fail to find the back of the net on the night.ย
Prediction
Angers SCO 0-3 PSG
It is difficult to see anything but a PSG victory on the night. The defending champions are expected to win by at least three goals. For Angers, it is now a matter of when and not if relegation occurs. The Hard Tackle predicts a run-of-the-mill 3-0 victory for Christophe Galtier and his charges.
