Ligue 1 Preview: Lille Missing Five Key Players, Paris Saint-Germain’s Attack Proves Formidable

On September 2nd at 2:45 AM, the third round of Ligue 1 will see Lille hosting Paris Saint-Germain at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium.

Lille is known as the “home dragon” in Ligue 1. Last season, they secured 37 points from 17 home games, topping the league’s home standings. After the start of the new season, Lille has won all three of its home matches, including a 2-0 victory in Ligue 1 and victories over Fenerbahçe and Slavia Prague in the Champions League qualifiers (note that due to the use of Lille’s home stadium for the Olympics, these two Champions League matches were temporarily hosted at a nearby venue, considered a ‘neutral ground’ but still providing home advantage). For this match, they hope to leverage their home field advantage to compete with PSG.

Since the start of the season, Lille has been in great form, successfully progressing through the Champions League qualifiers and winning all their league matches. Paris Saint-Germain has been even more impressive, defeating Le Havre 4-1 and Montpellier 6-0 in the first two rounds, scoring ten goals in two matches, placing them second in the top five leagues in terms of goal tally, ahead of Manchester City who scored nine in three matches, only behind Barcelona’s thirteen goals, though Barcelona played four matches. On average, PSG leads the top five leagues in goals per game. With both teams in excellent form, PSG coach Enrique described this match as being “Champions League level.”

The summer transfer window saw PSG spend €170 million on reinforcements which are already paying off, with Paco securing his starting spot and delivering outstanding performances, while new signing João Neves contributed four assists in just two Ligue 1 matches.

In head-to-head encounters, PSG has dominated Lille, winning five and drawing one of their last six meetings, scoring a total of 22 goals across those matches, showcasing a clear advantage.

In terms of squad availability, Lille will be without central defender Umtiti, defensive midfielder Benkhedda, midfielders Angel Gomes, Mitchell Bakker, and wing-back Ismaili. Additionally, the team played a Champions League qualifier midweek, leaving them at a disadvantage in terms of physical fitness. PSG, apart from long-term absentees Lucas Hernandez and Kimpembe, will also miss striker Gonçalo Ramos, who scored 14 goals for PSG last season, due to injury.

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