Ligue 1: Struggling Saints don’t really want to see Messi and Co!

Saint-Etienne vs Paris Saint-Germain

Ligue 1 has thrown up a fascinating Sunday treat at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard where St Etienne will meet toe to toe with runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain.   

On the face of it this is a mismatch. The Billionaire Parisiens with a Galactico line-up should surely leave the beautiful Rhone region with three points, particularly as their hosts are currently one place above the bottom spot. But the match will start at 11 vs 11, St Etienne are showing signs of recovering and the crowd will be vociferous in their attempt to intimidate their visitors, so let’s not hand the points to Mauricio Pochettino just yet!    

The Ligue 1 2021 betting oddshave no doubt which side will win the title come next May, but they also reckon St Etienne will be in the top flight to battle again next season.

Talking Points

St Etienne looking for a magical three

After a shocking start to the league season which left St Etienne entrenched in the drop zone, two draws and then back to back wins over Clermont and Troyes have hauled Les Verts back into contention. They still sit in 19^th place on 12 points, but a single point behind Rheims in 15^th and Bordeaux, Clermont and Troyes in between. The ability to win games against those teams around them will be a key factor in St Etienne’s top flight survival and these signs are good. But now they are hoping to make it three wins from three against an entirely different proposition.

Just think about Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, and most mere mortals in the French Ligue 1 will have nightmares!

Head coach Claude Puel has locked horns with Pochettino before when they both managed in the Premier League. Poch was at Spurs during Puel’s spells at Southampton and Leicester City where he was accused of playing defensive, negative football…but that might not be such a bad idea against the Parisiens on Sunday. 

The outlet, when St Etienne do break out of their own half, is 30 year old Tunisian striker Wahbi Khazri who has scored seven goals, and he’ll be on the hunt for an eighth against the most illustrious opponents.       

PSG looking for an expected four

Paris come into this game on the back of league wins over Champions Lille, Bordeaux and Nantes and they are aiming for a fourth consecutive win to maintain their 11 point lead at the top of the table.    

After giving up their domestic title last season the Parisiens are in no mood to slip up again, while they also seek European glory. But a Champions League defeat to Manchester City this week was a reminder to PSG that they still have a way to go, and a hint to St Etienne that they are not unbeatable.

But Pochettino has such a wealth of talent at his disposal it is not easy to see how they can be overcome on French soil. Lionel Messi’s arrival at the Parc des Princes was understandably greeted by fans as the biggest Ligue 1 2021 news story since the takeover of the Paris club by Qatari Sports Investment, just over a decade ago. And he has shown his undoubted genius when he has played, particularly in the Champions League. And the effect of his arrival on Kylian Mbappe has been interesting. The France striker wasn’t happy in the summer and seemed to be heading for the exit, but he has been magnificent, scoring eight goals and making eight assists.   

Meanwhile Neymar, Achrah Hakimi and Mauro Icardi all have three goals and the threats to St Etienne will come from all angles.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas is banned; so expect Italy’s Euro 2020 hero, Gianluigi Donnarumma, to make an appearance between the sticks.

History

PSG are the undisputed kings of France right now, but St Etienne are also French royalty with a rich history, boasting ten league titles, six Coupe de France wins and a European Cup final. Les Verts’ golden era was the 1960s and 1970s when they ruled at home an impressed on the continent, but the order has changed dramatically since then.     

PSG have won 31 of last 51 meetings between these two teams while St Etienne have managed just seven victories and 13 draws.

When they last met, PSG came out on top in a 3-2 win at the Parc des Princes while St Etienne picked up a point in a 1-1 draw at home last season. 

Les Verts have lost only twice at home this term, winning one and drawing four.

Betting Tip

	Saint-Etienne vs Paris Saint-Germain	Paris Saint-Germain Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 1.92
	November 28, 20:00 (GMT+8)

At SBOTOP odds of 1.30 to win, the Parisiens should see the job through on Sunday, but if you fancy an upset then St Etienne are at 7.52, the draw is 5.03 or the double chance is a price of 3.13.

I think PSG will win and I think there will be goals too, so for a long shot score-line bet, 3-1 to PSG at odds of 7.96 is worth consideration.

 

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