Preview:Angers vs Paris FC - prediction, team news, lineups

Paris FC make their long-awaited return to Ligue 1 after 46 years away with a trip to Angers in their season opener this Sunday.

The club from the capital, with a helping hand from some wealthy owners, finished second in Ligue 2 last season to win promotion, and will fancy their chances of survival, given their healthy financial backing.

Match preview

After surviving the drop following an unlikely promotion, Angers will start the 2024-25 season as one of the favourites to be relegated once more, but Alexander Dujeux will be looking to steer his side away from trouble again.

It is true that Angers limped over the line last season, amassing the fewest points (17) in the second half of the campaign of any club who was not relegated, scoring just 13 goals in those 17 games.

Angers are often slow starters too, because they have only won two of their previous nine opening home matches of a new season in Ligue 1.

That makes them the slight outsiders for this clash, but they have been strong in preseason, especially defensively, as Dujeux’s men have beaten Caen, Nantes and Lorient, while also drawing with Le Havre, all without conceding.

With Paris Saint-Germain away on the horizon next week, Angers will want to ensure they take all three points here, but it will not be straightforward against another ambitious club from the capital.

Paris FC will set the record for the longest gap between two top-flight matches, having not kicked a ball in Ligue 1 since June 1979, so they will be keen to make a splash now back at the top table.

The visitors finished two points behind champions Lorient in Ligue 2 last season, sealing automatic promotion, and that was down to defensive foundations that were tough to breach.

Across the top two divisions, no team conceded fewer goals (17) and kept more clean sheets (seven) away from home than PFC, while they also did not let in a goal in the first half of any of their final seven games of the campaign.

This will be a significant step up though, and manager Stephane Gilli will hope to avoid an instant relegation, like they suffered back in 1978-79.

Angers have been in the top flight with Paris FC in each of their three Ligue 1 campaigns, with four of the six meetings ending level, but when they met in Ligue 2 in 2023-24, both clubs claimed a win on home soil.

Angers Preseason form:

L W D W W W

Paris FC Preseason form:

L W W D D W

Team News

Moses Simon of Nantes pictured on September 22, 2024

Angers are set to be without Himad Abdelli after he missed all of preseason, despite playing 32 of their 34 league encounters last term.

Transfer activity has not been that high at the club, with Lens loanee goalkeeper Herve Koffi one of just two players to arrive so far this summer.

The other is Louis Mouton, who has joined from relegated Saint-Etienne, and the midfielder is expected to make his competitive debut for the club.

In contrast, Paris have splashed the cash, bringing in Otavio from Porto for £15m to bolster an already-impressive backline, and he could replace captain Timothee Kolodziejczak in the side.

Moses Simon has also signed from Nantes and adds top-flight pedigree and pace, as well as a fine recent record against Angers, having scored one and set up three goals in his last four appearances against them.

Reims duo Thibault De Smet and Nhoa Sangui have also moved to the capital and should start here, with the former making his loan move from last season permanent.

Angers possible starting lineup:

Koffi; Raolisoa, Arcus, Camara, Lefort, Hanin; Belkhdim, Belkebla, Mouton, Cherif; Lepaul

Paris FC possible starting lineup:

Nkambadio; Camara, Mbow, Otavio, De Smet; Lopez, Sangui, Marchetti; Simon, Krasso, Kebbal

We say: Angers 1-1 Paris FC

While there is plenty of excitement around Paris this season, it could take some adjusting to life at the top table, even if they have brought in a few players with Ligue 1 experience.

Angers struggled during the second half of last season, but they have shown defensive solidity in preseason, and they could be an awkward team to break down for the sides in and around them.

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