Newly crowned Ligue 1 champions PSG are chasing unprecedented records domestically and in Europe as they now take on relegation-threatened Le Havre in Paris.
PSG survived a scare away at Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League, as Unai Emery’s men came back roaring in the second leg of their quarter-final tie on Tuesday; up next for them are Le Havre. Having taken a two-goal lead at Villa Park, the Parisians were complacent enough to let the opposition back into the tie, although they survived waves of attacks to finish the game 5-4 on aggregate.
Ahead of their semi-final clash in the Champions League against Arsenal, they do face the prospect of playing three games between now and then. PSG managed to postpone last weekend’s Ligue 1 clash with Nantes as they were eager to prepare for the Aston Villa clash. So, they will play this fixture next Tuesday. On paper, the decision to push that game may have created another issue for Luis Enrique, but he has the squad to deal with it.
Having won the Ligue 1 crown already, PSG will now set sights on becoming the first-ever French side to go unbeaten for an entire season. They are also chasing a probable ‘treble’ as PSG are in the Coupe de France Final as well as in the Champions League semi-finals. Les Parisiens now face relegation-threatened Le Havre in Paris, and they have been imperious at this venue securing 38 of the possible 42 points on offer in Ligue 1 this season.
Meanwhile, Le Havre may be staring at unprecedented times ahead, as they were pushed back into the bottom three following a big loss to Rennes last weekend. They had climbed out of the danger zone following wins over Montpellier and Nantes before last weekend, but now there is a distinct possibility of them going down at the end of the campaign.
Le Havre will face the top six sides in four of their final five games of the Ligue 1 season, and they have a dreadful record this term against those clubs. Moreover, as they head to Paris, they have not won away at PSG since 1998, and that winless run might continue after Saturday’s game.
Team News & Tactics
PSG
Despite a run of three league games before they next play UEFA Champions League opponents Arsenal, some might assume Luis Enrique will rest most of his big hitters. That might not be the case for Saturday, as the manager will want his top stars at their best form and keep up the match sharpness.
Hence, it would not be surprising to see Enrique name a strong lineup. PSG have a fully fit squad ahead of the weekend, and Enrique could use these upcoming games to add minutes into some legs that have not played of late.
For instance, Lee Kang-in could get some game time at the weekend off the bench, and the South Korean could be in line for starts in the next two games before the Arsenal fixture. However, for the Le Havre clash, Enrique could name a team with slight changes like bringing in Warren Zaire-Emery and Goncalo Ramos as well as Lucas Hernandez.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Lee; Dembele, Ramos, Barcola
Le Havre
Le Havre have some key stars missing out for this trip to Paris, as Yanis Zouaoui broke down on the pitch after going down with an injury 20 minutes after coming on against Rennes. He will be joined by Antoine Joujou, who is struggling with an ankle problem.
The duo will join long-term absentees Yann Kitala and Andy Logbo on the sidelines, and the Le Havre manager will have to choose from a competitive side ahead of this clash with PSG.
Defensive midfielder Abdoulaye Toure has been the source of regular goals for the team of late, meaning, he will have a place in the side and once again many of their supporters will hope he adds to his impressive tally this season.
Toure will have Junior Mwanga beside him in central midfield, while Yassine Kechta will take up the advanced role. Josue Casimir and Issa Soumare will play the wide roles in the front three with Koka leading the line for Le Havre.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gorgelin; Nego, Sangante, Lloris, Ballo-Toure; Toure, Mwanga; Casimir, Kechta, Soumare; Koka
Key Stats
- Paris Saint-Germain are undefeated in their last 30 matches in Ligue 1.
- Paris Saint-Germain have won nine of their last ten matches against Le Havre in all competitions.
- Le Havre play four of their last fve Ligue 1 games against the top six sides.
- Le Havre have suffered 12 defeats from their 14 games this season against top-six opposition.
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dembele
With a big UEFA Champions League semi-final coming up against Arsenal, it is more than imperative for Enrique to manage his star attacker Dembele in the next few games. Of the next three league games before facing the Gunners, Dembele is expected to be rested for at least one, in the matches that he is playing, Enrique will want a sharp display from the winger.
These clashes against Le Havre and Nantes will provide a good test for Dembele to polish his scoring boots, and Enrique will want him on top form against Arsenal. Hence, all eyes will be on the French international as the PSG fans will look at him with optimism as well as caution as they would not want any unwanted problems with their main star in the front three.
Prediction
PSG 3-0 Le Havre
Le Havre are under tremendous pressure to get a surprise result from somewhere, although that may not come away at PSG. They have a terrible record at this ground, and that may continue beyond this weekend, as the relegation-threatened side is likely to endure a torrid time in Paris.
PSG are expected to win by a big margin, but these are games where Luis Enrique is not expected to push his side to their maximum potential. Hence, this might be a relaxed outing for many of the key stars, as they will be expected to put aside Le Havre and continue their unbeaten run in Ligue 1.