Le Havre vs PSG – News and Probable Lineups

The ninth round of Ligue 1 action begins this Friday as Le Havre hosts Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Oceane in Normandy, where the top team will clash with the bottom team.

As the season progresses, Le Havre finds themselves in last place with only two points after a thrilling 4-3 defeat against Marseille last weekend, while PSG has surged to the top of Ligue 1 following their 2-0 victory over Lyon on Monday.

Match overview

Fans of Le Havre are accustomed to their team fighting to stave off relegation, but the situation now appears to be as dire as it has been under Didier Digard.

The former Nice coach is still in search of his first Ligue 1 win this season, making Le Havre the only side in the league yet to secure a victory.

This represents their poorest start to a top-flight season this century, leaving them five points adrift of safety as they gear up for this clash.

On Friday, they have the chance to break a nine-match winless streak at home in this competition, having managed only one point at Stade Oceane this season.

At home, they have struggled offensively, scoring just twice in their four games in Normandy thus far.

On the defensive end, they have also faltered, allowing 11 goals in their last four league fixtures, which is seven more than they conceded in their first four matches.

Despite dealing with several injuries to key players, Paris Saint-Germain managed to find the back of the net twice on Monday, striking late in the match.

Amid all the injury struggles and the societal unrest that have made headlines in the city, Luis Enrique’s team has managed to maintain their focus and seems to have turned a corner after a rough start to the season.

A victory on Friday would not only keep them atop the league but also set a record for Enrique as the coach with the most wins across all competitions in PSG’s history, currently sharing the record with Laurent Blanc at 126 victories.

Recognized as Europe’s top club during Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, PSG is living up to that status, currently enjoying an eight-match winning run that includes impressive Champions League victories over rivals Manchester City and Barcelona.

This week, they aim to extend their unbeaten streak away from home in Ligue 1 to six matches, having not lost on the road this season.

Les Parisiens are looking for their fifth consecutive Ligue 1 win against Le Havre, with a track record of no losses to them in competitive matches during this century.

Team News

Le Havre could be without Timothee Pembele due to adductor pain, while Elias Jelert is facing a leg issue. Felix Mambimbi and Lionel Mpasi are out with ruptured Achilles tendons, as is Stephan Zagadou with a cruciate ligament injury, and Ayumu Seko is set to serve a suspension.

Josh Maja scored twice towards the end of their game against Marseille, with Lamine N’Diaye also contributing to the scoresheet despite the loss.

For PSG, Ousmane Dembele and Marquinhos will miss out on this match due to hamstring injuries, while Nuno Mendes and Alessandro Longoni are doubtful with leg injuries. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia is sidelined with a cruciate ligament tear.

Senny Mayulu and Mika Godst both found the net late in their winning match against Lyon, with the latter scoring his first since joining from Ajax in August.

Le Havre probable starting XI:

Gallon; Ouziad, Sasso, Mwanga, Touba, Koffi; Ndiaye, Ebonog, Richardson; Maja, Samatta

Paris Saint-Germain probable starting XI:

Safonov; Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; God, Torres, Akliouche

While PSG may not have access to all their attacking choices, they are unlikely to require them against a Le Havre side that has shown significant frailty in defense this season.