PSG will seek to strengthen their hold at the head of the Ligue 1 standings when they face Le Havre AC on Sunday.
Luis Enrique’s PSG might not have hit top gear yet this season but have the longest winning streak in Europe’s top five leagues of any side bar Bayer Leverkusen as they head into the weekend’s clash against Le Havre.
Paris Saint-Germain hold a one point lead over second placed OGC Nice in the league standings heading into the weekend. Despite being the favourites to retain the title, the visitors will be keen to put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack.
Les Ciel et Marine have surprised several onlookers this season and find themselves in the eighth spot ahead of the gameweek. They are unbeaten in the last five league games, albeit drawing 0-0 in four of them. With home support to boot, it remains to be seen if Le Havre can spring an almighty surprise.
PSG had to dig deep to secure a draw against Newcastle United midweek in the UEFA Champions League. While Enrique’s men dominated the game, their profligacy upfront saw them draw a blank until second half stoppage time.
Given that Le Havre have conceded just once in their last five league clashes, it should prove to be an exciting contest between a dynamic attack and a well drilled defence. The longer the home side hold out, the more the crowd can make the Stade Oceane into a cauldron of noise.
With the winter break fast approaching, both teams will be keen to end their campaign for the calendar year on a high. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how these two sides will line up and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Le Havre AC
๐ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ’ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ
Une belle sรฉrie pour nos Ciel&Marine qu’il faudra poursuivre ce dimanche face au PSG ! pic.twitter.com/ZVkc3nlNPW
โ Havre Athletic Club โฝ๏ธ (@HAC_Foot) December 1, 2023
The home side’s good start to the season has been led by a dominant defence that has ceded few opportunities for rival marksmen to hit their targets.
Le Havre have conceded just once in their last five Ligue 1 games, keeping four clean sheets in the process. However, this solidity at the back has not translated to a free flowing attack. In fact, the home side have also failed to find the back of the net in four of their last five games, all of which finished 0-0.
Luka Elsner will be without Oussama Targhalline and Oualid El Hajjam, both of whom are out injured. Veteran attacker Andre Ayew is suspended for the match as well after being sent off against Nantes last time around. The Le Havre boss has an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.
While Le Havre should line up in a 3-4-2-1 system, they are likely to revert to a 5-4-1 while defending and a 4-4-1-1 while attacking. Strength in numbers is likely when it comes to the home side’s approach on the night.
Arthur Desmas is the undisputed starter in goal and has so far kept six clean sheets in 13 Ligue 1 games this season. He should be protected by the centre-back trio of Arouna Sangante, Etienne Youte and Gautier Lloris.
Loic Nego and Josue Casimir should function as the full-backs, offering width on the flanks while also dropping back to overload the rearguard when needed. Abdoulaye Toure and Daler Kuzyaev should start in the middle of the park and will hope to seize control of the midfield against their more illustrious opponents.
Nabil Alioui and Antoine Joujou will aim to win back the ball and play it upfield for Mohamed Bayo to catch the PSG defence napping.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Desmas; Sangante, Youte, Lloris; Nego, Kuzyaev, Toure, Casimir; Alioui, Joujou; Bayo
PSG
The defending champions are slowly getting into their groove but are yet to discover their best. The convincing 5-2 win over AS Monaco last time around was followed up with a 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle United. While PSG dominated both games, they struggled to pull the trigger in front of the goal in the latter.
Given Le Havre’s strong defence, it could once again prove to be a long night for the visitors should they fail to break the deadlock early on. Enrique has a plethora of players out with the quintet of Sergio Rico, Nuno Mendes, Keylor Navas, Marquinhos and Warren Zaire-Emery all injured. Veteran defender Presnel Kimpembe is also a doubt for the game as he continues to recover from an injury.
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๐ Le Havre
๐๏ธ 3/12 – 13h
๐๏ธ Stade Ocรฉane@visitrwanda_now I #HACPSG pic.twitter.com/ZN54oQtqnqโ Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) December 1, 2023
The visitors are expected to set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. The Italian shot-stopper should be protected by the back four of Achraf Hakimi, Milan Skriniar, Lucas Hernandez and Nordi Mukiele.
Manuel Ugarte and Fabian Ruiz should form the centre midfield pairing, freeing up Lee Kang-in to push further upfield as the attacking midfielder. Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe will offer the width while also cutting inwards while Goncalo Ramos spearheads the attack down the centre.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Skriniar, Hernandez, Mukiele; Ugarte, Fabian, Lee; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
Key Stats
- Le Havre are on aย five game losing streak against PSG in Ligue 1. This is the first meeting between both these sides in the since 2008-09.
- Le Havre have a 100 percent loss rate at home against PSG in the league in the 21st century. (P2 L2)
- Avoiding defeat on the night will see Le Havre equal their longest unbeaten run in the top flight since 1988-89. (Six games)
- Le Havre have drawn five games with a 0-0 draw in Ligue 1 this season. This is the most of any side in Europe’s top five leagues.
- A win on the night will see PSG win seven straight Ligue 1 games for the first time since 2021.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
The French international was an electric presence against Newcastle United but had to rely on a penalty to bet the ball into the back of the net. He will once again be PSG’s go-to man this weekend.ย Mbappe will be up against another formidable defence this time around.
For the home side, there is no bigger challenge to pit their defence against than Mbappe, the Ligue 1’s pre-eminent goalscorer. The 24-year-old will not just stretch the Le Havre backline but also free up space for Goncalo Ramos and Ousmane Dembele to exploit. With Lee Kang-in also expected to pull the strings down the middle, Mbappe’s movement and clinical ability in the box should make the difference on the night.
Prediction
Le Havre AC 0-2 PSG
While Le Havre have proved to be formidable at the back, PSG’s myriad of options upfront could see that myth shattered this weekend. While Le Havre’s best shot of taking something from the game would be a draw, the visitors should come out on top thanks to the match-winners in their roster.
