Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Prediction: Strasbourg vs Paris Saint-Germain

Veselin Trajkovic in Free Soccer Predictions 26 May 2023

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Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Paris Saint-Germain are on the verge of securing yet another Ligue 1 title on Saturday evening, when they travel to the Stade de la Meinau to thface Strasbourg in the 37th round of the season in the French top flight. Meanwhile, the home side are also on the verge of achieving their current aim for the campaign by securing survival in the league, even though they would’ve had greater ambitions ahead of 2022/23.

This should be an interesting game, given it’s competitive significance to both sides, despite obvious difference in quality between them.

Strasbourg

The expectations regarding Strasbourg’s ambitions going into this season stemmed from the fact that they narrowly missed out on qualifying for Europe at the end of 2021/22. It was natural to assume they would want to build on that and do more this term, perhaps actually earn a place in the Europa League or the Conference League, but instead, they’ll have to settle for mere survival, and they need one more point to be certain of that.

At the moment, Frederic Antonetti’s team are in 15th place with a tally of 39, six more than Nantes who top the relegation zone, with Auxerre squeezed in between with 34. The chances are, the final relegation spot will be decided between the latter two, with Troyes, Ajaccio and Angers already condemned.

Strasbourg have actually shown very good form recently, and that’s obviously the main reason why they’re far more comfortable than Auxerre or Nantes. Their last-six run consists of a 3-1 home win over Ajaccio, a 0-2 win away to Reims, a 1-2 defeat at home to Olympique Lyon, a 0-2 win away to Nantes, a 2-0 home win over Nice, and a 1-1 draw away to Troyes.

Strasbourg appeared very close to winning that game against Troyes, having taken a 27th-minute lead through Habib Diarra and seen Troyes goalkeeper Gauthier Gallon sent off in the 58th. However, the teams had an equal number of players on the pitch in the end as Alexander Djiku picked up a red card too in the 72nd, and only a minute later, Rony Lopes equalized for the hosts.

Team News

Djiku obviously won’t be able to captain his team from the back line, serving his red-card suspension.

A heavy crisis is troubling Strasbourg’s fullback department at the moment. Thomas Delaine is out, while Eduard Sobol and Frederic Guilbert are doubts, which leaves PSG loanee Colin Dagba as the only fully fit designated fullback.

Matz Sels will be in goal. Ismael Doukoure, a centre-back by trade, is expected to shift to the right flank with the trio of Gerzino Nyamsi, Maxime Le Marchand and Lucas Perrin playing directly in front of the goalkeeper and Guilbert on the left if he can. If not, it’ll be Dagba who completes the back five. Diarra and Ibrahima Sissoko will pair up in the middle of the park, with Morgan Sanson and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde slightly wider. Habib Diallo will play upfront on his own.

Paris Saint-Germain

Though it’s likely to end with Ligue 1 success, the season has been a rather turbulent one for PSG. The French champions are reportedly set to lose the services of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, as well as the man who was arguably their main star for several years and remains the most expensive player ever – Neymar. And they’ve failed once more to achieve what they’ve been trying to for so long – win the Champions League, having left the competition in the round of 16, beaten by Bayern Munich.

Still, a league title is not to be sneered at, even in France, but they’ll have to do a lot better next term if they are to win their disappointed supporters over again.

Be that as it may, Christophe Galtier’s team sits top of the table with 84 points, six more than second-place Lens – the surprise of the season, no doubt, and like with Strasbourg and their efforts to survive, they only need one point to secure the top spot as their own again.

PSG won five of their last six games, losing one. They beat Lens 3-1 at home and Angers 1-2 away, before suffering a very painful 1-3 defeat at home against Lorient. Then they beat Troyes 1-3 away, Ajaccio 5-0 at home, and Auxerre 1-2 away.

It was Kylian Mbappe who struck twice within the opening eight minutes of the game, with Lassine Sinayoko providing some consolation for the hosts in the second half.

Team News

Galtier won’t be able to call upon Achraf Hakimi on the right flank as the Morocco international serves a two-game ban after getting sent off against Ajaccio.

Neymar is injured and won’t play again this season, which also goes for fullbacks Nordi Mukiele and Nuno Mendes, as well as centre-back Presnel Kimpembe. Striker Hugo Ekitike and midfielder Fabian Ruiz have been ruled out for this game, while defender Marquinhos is classified as a doubt.

With Gianluigi Donnarumma between the posts, Timothee Pembele is expected to replace Marquinhos at the back alongside veteran Sergio Ramos and Danilo Pereira. Young Warren Zaire-Emery should cover for Hakimi on the right, while Juan Bernat covers the left, and Renato Sanches joins Vitinha and Marco Verratti in the middle of the park. Further up, Messi should play just behind Mbappe as the main attacking threat.

Conclusion

Strasbourg, with all due respect, are likely to be left in search of the point to make them safe in the final round against away to Lorient, though if Nantes fail to win at Lille on Saturday, they won’t even need it.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Veselin Trajkovic


Vesko is a football writer that likes to observe the game for what it is, focusing on teams, players and their roles, formations, tactics, rather than stats. He follows the English Premier League closely, Liverpool FC in particular. His articles have been published on seven different football blogs.

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