Paris Saint Germain will be up against Troyes in the Ligue 1 encounter at the Parc des Princes on the 9th of May. Paris Saint Germain have already won Ligue 1 and are continuing on their stroll to finish the campaign on a positive note as Troyes will be paying them a visit on Sunday. Les Parisiens bottled a 3-1 lead and finished 3-3 against Strasbourg in their previous clash while Troyes registered a statement 3-0 win over last season’s champions Lille.
Under normal circumstances, winning the league title would ensure that the pressure is off the shoulders of Paris Saint Germain players and its coach. However, that is not the case this season as both Mauricio Pochettino as well as several top players in the camp are fighting for their future in Paris.
Results in these last few weeks could prove to be important in decision making as a trigger-happy board will be more than willing to make a host of changes to the side after an underwhelming season where they once again crashed out of the Champions League in miserable fashion.
Kylian Mbappe scored a brace of goals and also assisted Achraf Hakimi’s goal, which put PSG into a comfortable 3-1 lead against Strasbourg last weekend. However, as has been the case for them for quite a while now, PSG ended up imploding by itself. Marco Verratti scored an own goal, which preceded a stoppage-time volley from Anthony Caci that ended up resulting in a stalemate.
At this point, PSG have almost nothing to play for having wrapped up the league title. Therefore, the only relevant question left to ask is how many points will the Parisian side be able to accumulate before the curtain closes on their league campaign The Champions are no longer in a position to break the 90-point barrier but will be seeking a perfect run of results in the final three matches against Troyes, Montpellier HSC, and Metz to potentially hit the 88 point mark.
Consecutive draws in the last two matches against Lens and Strasbourg have left Les Parisiens at risk of going three successive matches without a win in the domestic league for the first time since April 2019. With that being said, PSG have been a formidable side at home. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have only dropped four points at the Parc des Princes all season and have won eight matches in a row before clinching the title following the 1-1 draw with Lens.
Paris Saint Germain haven’t lost on home turf in Ligue 1 since December last year. Kylian Mbappe, as expected, has been the star for them this season. He is looking to become the first man in history to top both the goal scoring as well as the assist charts in Ligue 1 and PSG’s run of strong results at home is unlikely to come to an end anytime soon.
However, Troyes cannot be taken lightly by any means. They taught last season’s Ligue 1 champions Lille a spectacular lesson in football win the previous weekend. It was the perfect and ideal preparation as they gear up to face the newly crowned Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain. Lille had little to no answers for Troyes’ superiority in a 3-0 thumping for ESTAC in front of the home crowd at the Stade de l’Aube.
Jocelyn Gouvennec’s side imploded by themselves last weekend and had to finish the match with nine men while giving away as many as three penalties on the night. Florian Tardieu converted both the spot-kicks while Ike Ugbo also got on the scoresheet from the spot as the Lille duo of Renato Sances and Burak Yilmaz had to see their marching orders on what proved to be a disastrous day for Les Dogues.
With that spectacular win, Troyes brought to their run of four games without a win and have almost freed themselves from the threat of relegation as they sit 15th in the Ligue 1 table currently. Troyes have a five-point lead over Saint Etienne in the relegation playoff spot and for the time being, they are not in any immediate danger of dropping down.
Bruno Irles’ side will march to Paris, having won just one of their last seven Ligue 1 matches on the road this season. They have lost five during that period and have only been able to find the back of the net in only one of their last nine matches away from home. Troyes will end their season with relatively easy fixtures against former Ligue 2 opponents Lens and Lorient and they wouldn’t be too concerned about the prospect of dropping points against league champions PSG at the Parc des Princes.
Although Troyes held their fort for much of the reverse fixture against PSG at the beginning of the season, they eventually ended up slumping to a 2-1 defeat. Mauricio Pochettino’s unit will also be wary of the threat of Troyes this time around given the demolition job that they carried out against Lille the previous weekend.
PSG vs TRO, Ligue 1 2021/22
Date: 9th May, 2022
Time: 12:15 AM IST
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
FORM GUIDE:
Paris Saint Germain Ligue 1 form:
- W-W-W-W-D-D
Paris Saint Germain form (all competitions):
- W-W-W-W-D-D
Troyes Ligue 1 form:
- W-L-D-L-L-W
Troyes form (all competitions):
- W-L-D-L-L-W
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
Paris Saint Germain wins: 16
Draws: 4
Troyes wins: 2
TEAM NEWS:
Paris Saint Germain Team News: PSG suddenly find themselves without the services of a whole host of players and the treatment room appears to be in full capacity once again. Midfielders Leandro Paredes and Julian Draxler are set to miss the remainder of the season after getting operated on. They will also be kept company in the medical room by Ander Herrera, Ismael Gharbi, Layvin Kurzawa and Mauro Icardi.
Abdou Diallo is back in training and will be looking to force his way into the matchday squad. This is also the case with Colin Dagba who is looking to shake off a calf problem. Lionel Messi’s rib pain will also be assessed before the match.
PSG’s lynchpin in midfield Idrissa Gueye will also return to the side after serving a one-match suspension in the previous clash with Strasbourg. Meanwhile, Neymar and Presnel Kimpembe will also be available for selection after missing out on the meeting with Montpellier.
Loanee Nuno Mendes will be hoping to take up his spot at left-back which might see Juan Bernat getting relegated to the bench instead. Mauricio Pochettino will also be looking to start with Keylor Navas in goal for possibly one final time at home before an unlikely summer beckons.
Troyes Team News: As far as Troyes are concerned, their impressive win over Lille had come at a cost. Defender Youssouf Kone could only last on the pitch for 14 minutes before an adductor issue ruled him out of Sunday’s game with a serious injury.
Although Issa Kabore also limped off in the dying embers of the previous match against Lille, he should be fit enough to make the squad for this fixture. Meanwhile, Yoann Salmier, Karim Azamoum, Abdu Conte, Adil Rami, Gauthier Gallon, and Lebo Mothiba are all out of contention for Troyes on this trip to the capital.
Barring the possible inclusion of Yasser Larouci to deputize for the injured Youssouf Kone, it could end up being the same XI that started against Lille the last time out. Jessy Moulin will be in between the sticks while Mama Balde is also back after serving a two-match ban and will further improve Troyes’ options in attack.
Paris Saint Germain possible starting lineup:
Navas; Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Ramos; Hakimi, Pereira, Verratti, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe, Neymar
Troyes possible starting lineup:
Moulin; Biancone, Palmer-Brown, Larouci; Kabore, Tardieu, Kouame, Chavalerin; Dingome; Ripart, Ugbo
Predictions:
While Troyes did post a fantastic win against Lille the last weekend, that match was certainly influenced by the opposition players losing their heads, getting sent off, and conceding dramatic penalties. PSG, on the other hand, are a more professional unit and are unlikely to fall into that same trap. They will be desperate to return to winning ways at the Parc des Princes and Pochettino’s side will be the favourites to register a win here.
PSG vs TRO Fantasy XI No. 1
PSG vs TRO Fantasy XI No. 2
