Angers v PSG: Kurzawa wants unbeaten season

Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa hopes to remain unbeaten in Ligue 1 throughout the 2015-16 campaign as they prepare to take on Angers at the Stade Jean-Bouin on Tuesday.

Laurent Blanc’s men were beaten just three times last season as they cruised to their third consecutive domestic title and Kurzawa is determined to do even better this time around.

PSG have won 13 out of 15 Ligue 1 games so far this season, drawing the remaining two.

They were crowned autumn champions on Saturday, four games before the winter break, and Kurzawa is aiming to keep up their good run of form in the months to come.

“We have to try to maintain our unbeaten status right until the end of the season,” Kurzawa told reporters.

“We will do everything within our powers to achieve that. I realise that there will be difficult moments, but we have the squad to remain unbeaten.

“There could be some doubts at some stage. We might have to settle for a draw sometimes, even at home in Paris.

“We are autumn champions, but that means nothing if we do not win the league in the end.”

The reigning champions will probably have to make do without the services of Marco Verratti (calf) and Javier Pastore (adductor) due to injury, but Serge Aurier and Ezequiel Lavezzi are expected to return after shaking off a thigh and knee injury respectively.

Promoted Angers have been one of the revelations of the season so far, but they face a tough task to spring a surprise against PSG, who are on a 24-game unbeaten streak in the French top flight, with their last defeat taking place on March 15 against Bordeaux.

Stephane Moulin’s men beat Lille 2-0 at the weekend to end a four-match winless streak, with Gilles Sunu and Ismael Traore on target.

Angers sit third in the table heading into Tuesday’s encounter with 26 points from 15 games, trailing leaders PSG by 15 points, but they are not getting carried away about their promising situation just yet.

“We have agreed not to talk about the Champions League,” Moulin said at a news conference.

“We are talking about a team that came from Ligue 2 and which finds itself on the podium after 15 games.”

Angers and Paris Saint-Germain last met in April 2011, when the Parc des Princes side recorded a 3-1 away win in the Coupe de France.

Key Opta stats:

– PSG have 41 points after 15 games in Ligue 1 2015-16, equalling the best ever tally at this stage in Ligue 1 history (Paris Saint Germain 1985-86 – 3 points for a win).
– Paris have won their last nine Ligue 1 games, the best current run in the division.
– PSG have scored in each of their last 26 Ligue 1 games, their joint-longest run ever and the longest current run in the top-flight.
– Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 22 penalties since his arrival in Ligue 1 in 2012-13, 13 more than any other player.
– Jean-Kevin Augustin is the youngest player to score a goal in Ligue 1 this season (18 years and five months).