Verdict: Home win by more than two goals
Best odds: 13/8
Bookmaker: Betfair
Paris Saint-Germain are set to continue their bid to reclaim the Ligue 1 title on Saturday at the Parc des Princes, where they’ll be welcoming Strasbourg in the second round of the 2021-22 season in the French top flight.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain are one of the most talked-about clubs in the world at the moment. The reason – they’ve just completed the signing of Lionel Messi from Barcelona. The Argentine superstar’s contract with Barcelona expired at the end of June, and they were unable to get him to sign a new one due to a most unfortunate (from their point of view) combination of financial problems and La Liga regulations relating to the limit of the amount clubs are allowed to spend on wages. PSG pounced at once and have landed the six-time Ballon d’Or winner on a two-year contract, with an option on a third.
In the opening round, PSG played away to Troyes and fell behind after just eight minutes through Oualid El Hajjam, but newcomer Achraf Hakimi and Mauro Icardi turned the contest around within the following 13 minutes, eventually winning the three points for their team.
Messi is probably the biggest signing PSG have made this summer, but it’s certainly not the only one. The Ligue 1 giants also snatched Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool, defender Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid, right-back Hakimi from Inter Milan, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from AC Milan, and midfielder Danilo Pereira from FC Porto. Meanwhile, they’ve sold goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to West Ham United, and left-back Mitchel Bakker to Bayer Leverkusen.
Team News
Messi has just joined his new club a few days ago and hasn’t had a proper pre-season. With that in mind, he is likely to miss this clash, while he gets back into shape and adapts to the new surroundings following his emotional departure from Barcelona. Ramos is out with a calf problem and will likely be out for the next month or so, and Donnarumma is a doubt. Neymar and Angel di Maria had been allowed to take extended holidays, and like with Messi, their involvement in this match is far from certain.
Icardi is set to lead the line again, with Kylian Mbappe and Julian Draxler in closest support. Wijnaldum and Danilo are likely to join Ander Herrera in the middle of the park, with Presnel Kimpembe commanding the back line, and Keylor Navas in goal.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg’s task this season could hardly be any more different that that of PSG. With all due respect to Julien Stephan’s team, they barely escaped relegation last term and if they can repeat that, they’ll be more than happy. Since returning to Ligue 1 in 2017, they are yet to finish higher than 10th place.
They didn’t get of to the best of starts; they were beaten at home by Angers in the opening round by 0-2, courtesy of goals by Ismael Traore and Stephane Bahoken for the visitors. That was pretty much the game in which they perhaps had a realistic chance of getting something from, but it wasn’t to be. It will be a lot harder against PSG in the capital, there’s no doubt about that.
Nonetheless, there is hope at the club that the recent appointment of Stephan to the helm and the signings of strikers Kevin Gameiro from Valencia and right-back Karol Fila from Lechia Gdansk could help their long-term cause. Whether they can help against PSG is another matter though.
Team News
The only absentee for this match is striker Lebo Mothiba, which means Gameiro, who is now back at the club where it all started for him, will likely be leading the attacking line again.
Conclusion
This trip to Paris will hold no pressure whatsoever for Strasbourg, and they’ll do well to leave with a moderate defeat and at least some of their pride intact.
Verdict: Home win by more than two goals
Best odds: 13/8
Bookmaker: Betfair
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