Just three days after falling to a tight 2-1 loss to Olympique Lyonnais, Paris Saint-Germain will be back in Ligue 1 action at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, this time against FC Nantes. The westerners are currently fighting for their top-flight survival and, despite being unbeaten in their last three matches, remain five points off the relegation play-off spot.
While Les Jaune et Vert face an uphill battle to stay in the division, Les Parisiens will be looking to return to winning ways and to cement their place at the top of the table. Luis Enrique's men are just one point ahead of second-placed Lens but have played one game fewer than Les Sang et Or, meaning that a win tomorrow evening will give them a little more breathing space at the summit.
2 – Paris Saint-Germain's last two goals in Ligue 1 were scored from outside the box. In fact, across Europe's top five leagues, only Aston Villa have netted more long-range goals (14) than Paris this season.
47 – Les Parisiens have scored in each of their last 47 home games in Ligue 1, which is not only the longest ongoing run of its kind in Europe's top five leagues but also the longest-ever run of its kind in the capital club's top-flight history.
47.3 – Nantes have lost more than 47.3% of their matches against Paris in Ligue 1, having suffered 45 defeats in 95 games. This is their highest loss percentage against a single team in the French top flight.
First of all, the experienced Anthony Lopes will naturally start in goal for Nantes tomorrow. The former Lyon keeper, who was confirmed in his role as captain by returning manager Vahid Halilhodžić, is arguably the first name on Les Canaris' team sheet. In front of him, Libya international Ali Youssif has firmly settled in since joining the club in the winter transfer window, and he should be supported at the back by ex-Montpellier player Nicolas Cozza, who has returned to a more central position in recent months. Nigeria's Chidozie Awaziem may well come in to form a three-man central defence for the visitors, with Abakar Sylla no longer forming a part of the coaching staff's plans and the promising Tylel Tati sidelined by injury.
At right-back, former Bordeaux man Frédéric Guilbert is expected to start in the absence of Kelvin Amian and Fabien Centonze, both of whom are currently injured, while over on the opposite side, Colombia international Deiver Machado has naturally established himself since his arrival from Lens last December.
Meanwhile, it's likely that the Nantes midfield will be anchored by Johann Lepenant, who has become one of the key figures in his side's starting XI and will probably be joined in the middle of the Parc des Princes pitch by Ibrahima Sissoko and Francis Coquelin. That said, the latter of the two hasn't always lived up to expectations of late and could therefore face competition from the likes of Mohamed Kaba and France under-21 international Louis Leroux, who possesses a more attack-minded profile and could provide a better link to the FCN front line.
However, another young Frenchman with a shot at starting tomorrow's game is Dehmaine Tabibou, who was sent off in Les Canaris' last game but may well have his red card rescinded. Either way, the Loire-Atlantique outfit certainly won't be lacking in midfield options, despite the potential absence of Rémy Cabella, who remains short of match fitness.
In attack, Nantes also have decisions to make. While Cameroon international Ignatius Ganago has been given the nod to start up front recently, Mostafa Mohamed appears to have given a better account of himself, not to mention Matthis Abline, who has contributed to more goals so far this season than any other player in the FCN squad, scoring five goals and assisting in four others. As a result, these three strikers will be expected to battle it out for the two starting spots in attack, while Youssef El Arabi and Herba Guirassy have enjoyed very little game time over the last few weeks.
