PSG v Angers
Angers are up in fourth place but after a racing start to the season as they won three of four unbeaten games, they’ve since only taken victory from one of their past five. Still, with just one defeat in nine appearances in total, they’ll hope to put up a better showing compared to recent encounters with their hosts here.
PSG have won each of the past four head-to-heads in all competitions since 2019/20 by an aggregate 16-1 scoreline. They head into this fixture having lost their final game before the international break 2-0 away to Rennes, but will expect to get back on track in this fixture.
However, Mauricio Pochettino has a number of absent players ahead of this clash, in particular his large South American contingent, who will play in the early morning on the day of this encounter. That of course includes star duo Lionel Messi and Neymar, key centre-back Marquinhos, as well as Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes and Keylor Navas
Sergio Ramos could make his first appearance though will likely have to settle for a place on the bench, while Juan Bernat could also return to the matchday squad. The former Real Madrid centre-back certainly won’t be up to speed after a lengthy injury lay-off in any case, which poses a problem as PSG have only registered three clean sheets from their nine appearances to date. Given Marquinhos is unavailable and Ramos is unlikely to be thrust straight into the line-up, they could be a little understaffed at the back.
However, the absence of star Brazilian duo Messi and Neymar doesn’t mean they’ll be without attacking threat with those two and Kylian Mbappe yet to gel properly, but Mauricio Pochettino can call upon the likes of Mauro Icardi and Julian Draxler to supplement the key French striker. Both teams have scored in four of Angers’ past five games, and they can register a consolation effort here.
PREDICTION:
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
Troyes v Nice
Nice have won five of their past seven fixtures as the exceptions came against sixth and seventh-placed Monaco and Lorient respectively, with four of those victories coming by minimum two-goal margins. They’ll fancy themselves against a Troyes side that have only taken a single victory on their return to the top flight, as even that came over one of the three teams below them in the table (Metz).
That victory also represents Troyes’ only clean sheet to date, as they’ve had a particular problem in their second-half displays. 11 of the 12 goals Troyes have conceded across their past eight games have come during the second-half, and with seven of the nine goals Nice have scored across their past five games coming after the break, the visitors should eventually break their hosts down.
PREDICTION:
DRAW/NICE - HT/FT
Montpellier v Lens
Montpellier only have a single clean sheet to their name this season, though by the same token, have only failed to score on a single occasion themselves. Both teams scoring has been a familiar theme for the club with a massive 27 of their past 32 league games seeing that occur.
Whereas Montpellier will be disappointed with their position of 13th in the table, Lens find themselves up in second place, with only PSG and Nice scoring more goals than them. They have however conceded more goals than anyone else in the top four at present, as they’ve been an entertaining watch this season with four of their games featuring a minimum of four goals.
Both teams have scored in 16 of Lens’ 23 league games since mid-February, as well as 10 of their past 12 on the road going back a couple of weeks further. Moreover, each encounter between the sides last term saw plenty of goals and both sides on the scoreboard.
PREDICTION:
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
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