Paris Saint-Germain take on Montpellier at the Parc des Princes on Friday, looking to build on an excellent start to their Ligue 1 title defence.
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The Parisians kicked off their season with a 4-1 win over Le Havre, marking the beginning of the post-Kylian Mbappe era.
Lee Kang-in gave PSG the early lead, but they failed to build on it, allowing Gautier Lloris to pull Le Havre level three minutes into the second half.
Randal Kolo Muani squandered two excellent chances as the game dragged on into the dying moments.
However, Ousmane Dembele broke the Montpellier resolve before Bradley Barcola and Kolo Muani scored to put the gloss on the game. All three goalscorers came on from the bench to impact the match.
There were several positives, like the two assists from new signing Joao Neves on his debut. Dembele and Barcola also stepped up to the plate following the departure of their compatriot to Real Madrid, which bodes well.
However, manager Luis Enrique was concerned by the injury sustained by Goncalo Ramos. The Spanish manager admitted that it looks serious and the Portuguese striker could be on the sidelines for some time.
Meanwhile, Montpellier’s season got off to a drab start as they drew 1-1 with BlueCo’s ultra-young Strasbourg side.
Last season, both clubs had finished side by side in the mid-table regions of the Ligue 1 table, and both their matches ended in a stalemate. Everyone expected a tight game at the Stade de La Mosson, and it delivered as advertised.
Montpellier created two excellent chances for Akor Adams, but Karl-Johan Johnsson in Strasbourg’s goal denied the Nigerian a place on the scoresheet.
Montpellier were all over their opponents but could not turn their dominance into a tangible lead, allowing Strasbourg to take the advantage through Habib Diarra in the second half. La Paillade defended a set-piece poorly and paid through their nose for it.
However, a few minutes later, Teji Savanier netted his 41st Ligue 1 goal for Montpellier from the spot, becoming their third-highest scorer in the French top flight.
Montpellier are now unbeaten in their last three opening games of a Ligue 1 season (W1, D2) after losing their previous six.
Coming up against perennial champions PSG on home soil, the odds are stacked against them, and they will have to play out of their skin to defeat the heavyweights.
PSG vs Montpellier head-to-head
The last time Montpellier beat PSG was four years ago. In their ten meetings since that 3-2 win, Les Parisiens have defeated La Paillade in ten straight matches.
Even when Montpellier managed to drag their 2021 Coupe de France meeting into extra-time, PSG won the clash on penalties to assert their dominance.
Montpellier face a daunting challenge when they travel to take on the 12-time Ligue 1 champions. Over their past six league clashes, PSG have won by a 23-5 margin.
Led by Armenian coach Michel Der Zakarian, Montpellier are expected to struggle this term.
They failed to improve the team in the transfer market, with the only notable arrival being Othmane Maama.
Their 3-1 loss to Mainz 05 to wrap up their pre-season training and subsequent draw with Strasbourg is an ominous sign for the club.
Past trips to the Parc des Princes make for grim reading for Montpellier. They have lost all their previous eight matches in the capital. This awful run dates back to March 2016.
Montpellier’s last visit to PSG ended with a 3-0 loss. Even the home advantage did not make any difference in the return leg as the defending champions mullered them 6-2.
PSG have averaged over four goals per game in their last five matches against Montpellier.
La Paillade must cause the mother of all upsets if they want to grab a result this weekend. If they are to take a point or three, they must become more clinical in front of goal.
Adams, in particular, was guilty of missing guilt-edge chances in their season opener even though he won the penalty for the equaliser.
The 24-year-old massively underperformed his 12.45xG last term. He netted only eight goals, missing 18 big chances. He must find his shooting boots for Montpellier to sneak results from games like these.
Playmaker Savanier will continue playing a talismanic role for the 2011 champions.
The 32-year-old showed no signs of rust or ageing in the Strasbourg game, creating one big chance and delivering two key passes.
Team news & potential line-ups
Talented left-back Nuno Mendes missed their first game against Le Havre through a suspension but is expected to be back in contention for selection.
The Portuguese international will likely replace Yoram Zague in the PSG starting XI. The French youngster looks set to play deputy left-back to the former Sporting CP star this season.
Ramos is set to undergo surgery and should be out of action for months. The 23-year-old will be rueing the setback.
He was looking sharp against Le Havre and in prime position to improve his lacklustre debut campaign in France.
Centre-half Presnel Kimpembe has been sidelined for some time now, and the club has even signed a possible replacement but did the honourable thing by extending his contract.
The Frenchman suffered a setback on top of his already lengthy injury spell and will be unavailable for some time.
PSG took the puzzling decision to cover an injury-prone defender (Kimpembe) with an even more injury-prone centre-half.
That poor decision has come back to bite them, with Lucas Hernandez out of action for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, Montpellier are dealing with the long-term loss of Wahbi Khazri, who has been out of action for an extended period.
Meanwhile, left-back Theo Sainte-Luce has not featured in the matchday squad since January as he looks to bounce back from a setback.
Issiaga Sylla is also missing in action. He was unavailable for the Strasbourg game, and there is no news on his return.
PSG potential starting line-up
(4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Warren Emery-Zaire; Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani, Bradley Barcola.
Montpellier potential starting line-up
(4-3-3): Benjamin Lecomte; Enzo Tchato, Modibo Sagnan, Falaye Sacko, Becir Omeragic; Joris Chotard, Teji Savanier, Jordan Ferri; Akor Adams, Musa Al-Taamari, Arnaud Nordin.
Prediction
PSG are favourites to win this match. They have dominated Montpellier recently and have a much stronger team on paper.
Montpellier must pull something miraculous out of the bag to get a point from this game.
PSG’s firepower and experience will likely prove too much. The Parisians are expected to dominate possession and create numerous scoring chances.
Ultimately, PSG’s quality and depth should see them claim a comfortable victory.
Predicted Score: PSG 3-0 Montpellier
