French football’s top tier is back this week as we prepare for another set of electric Ligue One fixtures. We’re entering the month of February and while that may mean we’re still in the midst of the winter blues, the action on the pitch gives us plenty of cause for excitement. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be a fun clash between Strasbourg and Paris Saint-Germain.
Strasbourg Form GuideStrasbourg, in the eyes of romantic football historians, hold a special place in the annals of the French game. However, after barely avoiding relegation last season, there’s a lot of pressure on them to perform. They have a nice blend of veterans and young talent and if the first few months are anything to go by, they’ve found a solid enough structure to work with in the months ahead.
For long spells of their game against Clermont Foot at the weekend, Strasbourg were out-fought and out-worked. Despite that, and despite only having two shots on target, they were the ones who took the lead - and they managed to hold on late and secure a 1-1 draw.
PSG Form GuideParis Saint-Germain have been the top dogs in France for as long as we can remember but up to this point, they haven’t quite been able to translate that into success on the European stage. They still have superstar names at their disposal and Kylian Mbappe is the main man up top, but you have to wonder whether or not a rebuild is on the way sooner rather than later.
If PSG fans thought they were going to walk their way to the title, Sunday served as a reminder that it won’t be quite so easy. After racing out to a 2-0 lead over Brest, PSG were pegged back courtesy of two second half goals - and they also ended the game with ten men.
Match PredictionStrasbourg are more than good enough to frustrate a side like PSG and for long spells of this game, we think that’s exactly what they are going to do. Of course, it’s one thing to frustrate them, and it’s another to hurt them - with our safe prediction being under 2.5 goals scored.
