After suffering a shock 0-2 defeat at Rennes before the international break, Paris Saint-Germain will look to bounce back when they host Angers in a French Ligue 1 match on Saturday. (More Football News)
Despite the season's first defeat in the domestic league, Mauricio Pochettino Parisians lead the points table with 24 points from nine matches ( eight wins and one defeat). Gerald Baticle's Angers are fourth with 16 matches (four wins, four draws and one defeat).
And it will be a tough outing for the hosts as PSG will miss the services of their South African stars. Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes featured in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Peru, while Neymar and Marquinhos turned up for Brazil in their 4-1 win over Uruguay. Former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos' much-anticipated debut also remain in doubt, for at least some time.
But Pochettino can still field a very strong side with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Presnel Kimpembe, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Verratti, all back from their UEFA Nations League duties.
Unlike PSG, Angers don't have to deal with such high-profile absentees. With a sturdy defensive line, featuring captain Ismael Traore, Vincent Manceau and Romain Thomas, they can thwart PSG moves while also mounting their own attacks. Likes of Mohamed Ali-Cho and Sofiane Boufal can trouble any defence any day, and they have the support of Batista Mendy and Thomas Mangani in the midfield.
Head-to-head
PSG have won 15 out of 25 previous meetings. In their last meeting, PSG hammered Angers 5-0 (La Coupe de France). PSG won their last league game against Angers 1-0 in January. In fact, the last time Angers defeated PSG in the league was way back in 1975.
Match and telecast details
Match: Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Angers
Date: October 16 (Saturday), 2021
Time: 12:30 PM IST/ 21:00 PM on Friday, local time (October 15)
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris, France.
TV Channels: VH1/MTV
Live Streaming: Voot, JioTV
Likely XIs
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma; Dagba, Kehrer, Kimpembe, Diallo; Herrera, Danilo, Verratti; Draxler, Icardi, Mbappe.
Angers: Bernardoni; Manceau, Traore, Thomas; Cabot, Mendy, Mangani, Capelle; Fulgini; Boufal, Cho.
