Ligue 1 returns this Friday with Paris Saint-Germain travelling to Stade François Coty to face AC Ajaccio in the 12th Round of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season.
Venue: Stade François Coty (Ajaccio)
Key Statistics
AC Ajaccio have scored just two home goals so far which is the lowest in the division.
They have lost their last four home league games.
They are winless at home this season(D1, L4).
Paris Saint-Germain are unbeaten in their last 25 competitive games (W18, D7).
The visitors have kept eight clean sheets in 15 competitive games this season.
PSG have scored 2+ goals in all but one of their previous four road trips to Ajaccio (W3, D1).
The Parisians have also scored 2+ goals in their last four away games to newly promoted sides (W3, L1).
Head to head
In 15 competitive meetings between both sides, PSG have six wins, and Ajaccio have two wins.
Latest performances in all competitions
Ajaccio: D-W-L-W-L
PSG: W-D-D-D-W
AC Ajaccio
Relegation contenders Ajaccio will look to make it three games without defeat in the league when they welcome top-of-the-table PSG to Stade François Coty on Friday.
The hosts have enjoyed two positive results ahead of this round. The first of those was a 2-1 win over Marseille on matchday ten, followed by a 1-1 comeback draw with Troyes last time out.
Although they will feel a sense of regret that they could have taken maximum points from the game at Troyes given that they saw more of the ball while Riad Nouri’s missed penalty in the 37th minute, the second for Ajaccio this season but Coach Olivier Pantaloni said he was “relieved” after Mounaïm El Idrissy netted an 88th-minute equaliser.
Ahead of this game with the defending champions, Ajaccio are sitting in 18th place, neck deep in the relegation zone and with the fight for survival in their hands.
They will hope to record another positive result against another of the title contenders having recorded a win against Marseille. But a home game is unlikely to provide any comfort for the Acéistes, as they are still waiting for their first win at the François-Coty Stadium (D1, L4) this season. They come into this tie on a four-game losing run at home, which is Ajaccio’s longest such run in the club’s history.
A lack of quality in the final third is one of the main causes of that losing streak with the hosts scoring just two home goals so far, which is the lowest in the division.
Possible Ajaccio starting line-up
Benjamin Leroy; Mickael Alphonse, Oumar Gonzalez, Fernand Mayembo, Ismael Dialoo; Cyrille Bayala, Vincent Marchetti, Thomas Mangani, Yanis Cimignani; Mounaim El Idrissy, Romain Hamouma.
Injured: Yoann Touzghar, Qazim Laci, Romain Hamouma, Fernand Mayembo
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain ended a run of three games without a win (D3) last time out when they defeated Marseille 1-0 in the first ‘Classique’ of the season.
The win extended their unbeaten run in all competitions and gave them a three-point lead at the top of the table, ahead of Lorient.
Head coach Christophe Galtier was understandably pleased with the result, but he lamented about the fact that his team were unable to score a second goal in the game. The Parisians have failed to score over one goal in each of their last four games in all competitions, and so their current run of four games with under 1.5 team goals is their longest such streak in over two years.
However, they will travel to the Corsica région, confident of ending that poor scoring run here given that PSG have scored 2+ goals in all but one of their previous four road trips to Ajaccio (W3, D1), as well as in their last four away games to newly promoted sides (W3, L1).
The visitors will also look to extend their current run of four away clean sheets in Ligue 1, and notably, a fifth shutout would mark their longest such run since early 2016.
Possible PSG starting line-up
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Nordi Mukiele, Marquinhos, Juan Bernat; Fabian Ruiz, Marco Verratti, Vitinha; Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Hugo Ekitike.
Injured: Nuno Mendes, Presnel Kimpembe
Doubtful: Renato Sanches
Suspended: Sergio Ramos, Neymar
Prediction
Ajaccio 0-3 PSG
