MX23RW : Friday, April 26 03:24:05| >> :120:20132:20132:
[monks data]
PSG logo
Ligue 1 | Gameweek 2
Aug 14, 2021 at 8pm UK
Parc des Princes
Strasbourg

PSG
4 - 2
Strasbourg

Icardi (3'), Mbappe (25'), Draxler (27'), Sarabia (86')
Ebimbe (51')
FT(HT: 3-0)
Gameiro (53'), Ajorque (64')
Fila (60'), Djiku (79'), Bellegarde (90+1')
Djiku (81')

Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Strasbourg - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Ligue 1 clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Strasbourg, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Fresh from their headline-grabbing purchase of Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain must get back to the nitty gritty of winning football matches when they face Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.

It may prove to be too early for the new Parisian hero to take to the pitch, but PSG have plenty of other superstars in their ranks to try and make it two wins from two as they take on a Strasbourg side currently bottom of Ligue 1.


Match preview

Lionel Messi waves as he arrives in Paris pictured on August 10, 2021© Reuters

Messi is just one of a catalogue of stellar signings made by PSG this summer, as they aim to reclaim the title after what may be seen by their Qatari owners as the ignominy of losing out to a smaller club.

One of those signings made an instant impact in the season-opener - €60m (£50.1m) right-back Achraf Hakimi unleashing a powerful strike to equalise after they had surprisingly fallen behind against Troyes.

Mauro Icardi added a second two minutes later and PSG held on for a 2-1 victory, but there is much more to come from a team waiting for big names such as Neymar to return and for other new ones to settle in.

It is important for manager Mauricio Pochettino to get up and running quickly this campaign, after a relatively disappointing start to his time in Paris.

There may have been some silverware in the shape of the Coupe de France, but missing out to Lille on the final day of the season and losing 4-1 to Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final will not have matched up to the lofty ambitions of those in the boardroom.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino pictured on February 16, 2021© Reuters

Strasbourg meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, are preparing for another season fighting to survive in Ligue 1.

Since returning to the top flight in 2017, Les Coureurs have finished no higher than 10th and a lack of consistency last year saw them finish in 15th, just two points clear of relegation.

There is renewed hope, however, thanks to the appointment of new manager Julien Stephan - the 40-year old joining after an impressive stint at Rennes - and signings such as Kevin Gameiro and Karol Fila.

That hope took a blow on the opening weekend after a 2-0 loss to Angers, the visitors producing a smash-and-grab performance and scoring with two of their three shots on target.

The fans know that those are the kind of games Strasbourg will have to win - or at least avoid defeat in - if they are to have a more comfortable year, and a trip to the Parc des Princes appears less likely to provide their first points of the season.

PSG came away with comprehensive 4-0 and 4-1 victories when the two teams met last season and are unbeaten in their 30 Ligue 1 home games against Strasbourg - a French top-flight record for one team at home against a specific opponent.

Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 form:
  • W

Paris Saint-Germain form (all competitions):
  • D
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • L
  • W

Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:
  • L

Strasbourg form (all competitions):
  • D
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • L
  • L



Team News

Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Kylian Mbappe reacts on August 7, 2021© Reuters
Messi said in his press conference that he was "ready to start now", but the Argentine has only just returned from a break, following his starring role at Copa America, and is yet to complete anything akin to a pre-season.

He may get a token spot on the bench, though, and could well be joined there by his pals Neymar and Angel di Maria - the pair have also enjoyed an extended summer break but should soon be back on the pitch.

Other new recruits Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma remain injury doubts, so the starting XI will remain reasonably familiar for now - likely a 4-2-3-1 with Icardi leading the line, supported by Kylian Mbappe and Julian Draxler.

Striker Lebo Mothiba appears to be Strasbourg's only injury doubt, so Gameiro - who has returned to La Meinau for a second spell - will likely lead the line.

Stephan's usual 4-2-3-1 formation will likely end up looking more like a 6-3-1 as the midfield falls deep to defend against such formidable opponents.

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Navas; Hakimi, Kehrer, Kimpembe, Diallo; Herrera, Danilo, Wijnaldum, Draxler, Mbappe; Icardi

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Sels; Caci, Djiku, Sissoko, Fila; Lienard, Bellegarde, Diallo, Thomasson, Waris; Gameiro


SM words green background

We say: Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Strasbourg

PSG should have far too much firepower for Strasbourg - even before we witness the new 'MNM' partnership in all its glory - and the visitors would likely be pleased just to keep the scoreline more respectable than those of last season.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home Win:data



ID:459080:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect9626:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Paris Saint-Germain win with a probability of 71.81%. A draw had a probability of 17% and a win for Strasbourg had a probability of 11.18%.

The most likely scoreline for a Paris Saint-Germain win was 2-0 with a probability of 11.62%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (9.85%) and 2-1 (9.49%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (8.04%), while for a Strasbourg win it was 0-1 (3.4%). The actual scoreline of 4-2 was predicted with a 1.8% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Paris Saint-Germain would win this match.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: PSG vs Strasbourg

Paris Saint-Germain
92.3%
Draw
6.1%
Strasbourg
1.6%
247
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Lionel Messi waves as he arrives in Paris pictured on August 10, 2021
Read Next:
Key points from Lionel Messi's first public appearance as a PSG player
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
10am
Bublik
Carballes Baena
10am
Marozsan
Cerundolo
10am
Musetti
Seyboth Wild
10am
Paul
Klein
10am
Rublev
Bagnis
10am
Andreeva
Noskova
10am
Bronzetti
Rybakina
10am
Garcia
Wang
10am
Pavlyuchenkova
Saville
11.30am
Altmaier
Fils
11.30am
Martin Etcheverry
Shapovalov
11.30am
Alexandrova
Krueger
11.30am
Bucsa
Kasatkina
11.30am
Dolehide
Kalinina
11.30am
Jimenez Kasintseva
Paolini
11.30am
Linette
Sabalenka
1pm
Baez
Van Assche
1pm
Hurkacz
Draper
1pm
Bejlek
Kalinskaya
1pm
Cristian
Krejcikova
1pm
Kostyuk
Sherif
2pm
Zheng
Putintseva
2.30pm
Humbert
Van De Zandschulp
2.30pm
Darderi
Fritz
2.30pm
Boulter
Montgomery
3pm
Shevchenko
Alcaraz
3.30pm
Vondrousova
Rogers
4pm
Griekspoor
Daniel
4pm
Munar
Struff
5pm
Navone
Rune
7pm
Coric
Zverev
8.30pm
Collins
Danilovic
11.30am
Shang
Davidovich Fokina
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG30209173264769
2MonacoMonaco30177656381858
3Brest30158744291553
4Lille301410643261752
5Nice3013983324948
6Lens30137103932746
7Rennes30119104436842
8Marseille30101194537841
9Lyon30125133949-1041
10Reims30117123741-440
11Toulouse30910113639-337
12Montpellier HSCMontpellier30910113842-436
13StrasbourgStrasbourg3099123341-836
14NantesNantes3094172848-2031
15Metz3085173149-1829
16Le HavreLe Havre30610142738-1128
17Lorient3068163659-2326
18Clermont30410162149-2822


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!