All you need to know about Ajaccio v. Paris
The history, the stakes and the keys to the game! Find out all you need to know ahead of the game between AC Ajaccio and Paris Saint-Germain on Matchday 12 of Ligue 1, this evening at 21:00 CET at the Stade François Coty.
A BIT OF HISTORY...
This is the 20th competitive fixture between the two teams, with a fairly balanced head-to-head record for Les Parisiens: seven wins, eight draws and four defeats.
Paris are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run against Ajaccio, including four wins and three draws. The last game between the two teams was on 17th December 2014, in the last 16 of the Coupe de la Ligue, when Paris won 3-1 in Corsica.
Kevin Gameiro is Paris Saint-Germain's top scorer against the Corsican outfit, with three goals to his name thanks to a hat-trick scored there on 16th October 2011. He sits just ahead of Edinson Cavani and Pedro Miguel Pauleta in this respect (two goals each).
Eight players have played for both clubs: André Luiz, Dominique Baratelli, Kaba Diawara, Sylvain Leandri, Patrice Loko, François M’Pelé, Romain Rocchi and Bruno Rodriguez.
One surprising detail: of ACA's seven top-flight goals against Les Parisiens in Corsica, four have been scored by former Paris players, with two from François M’Pelé and one each from André Luiz and Romain Rocchi.
THE STAKES...
Unbeaten league leaders Paris Saint-Germain – with their nine wins, two draws and three-point lead over the chasing pack – will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run in Ligue 1, which currently stands at 20 games (15 wins and five draws).
Paris are also on a run of 25 competitive fixtures without loss since the 3-0 league defeat away to Monaco on 20th March 2022. If Les Parisiens avoid defeat in Ajaccio, this run would break into the top three longest unbeaten stretches in the club's history, alongside the 26-game run between 1985 and 1986.
The record for Les Rouge et Bleu in this respect is 37 matches, from August 1993 to April 1994, just ahead of the 36-game run from March 2012 to December 2013.
THE KEYS TO THE GAME...
Paris will be able to count on their rock-solid defence, particularly away from home in the league. With just one goal conceded (against Lille), the capital club have beaten their record of two goals conceded after six away games in Ligue 1, set during the 1991-1992, 2007-2008 and 2015-2016 seasons.
In attack, despite the absence of Neymar Jr, Paris Saint-Germain will be able to rely on the strike partnership of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
The Argentine no. 30 has scored two of Paris's last four goals in the league (against Lyon and Nice), not to mention his two contributions in the UEFA Champions League, against Maccabi Haifa and SL Benfica.
Mbappé, who has already netted 36 times in competitive fixtures in 2022, is also devilishly efficient away from home in the league, with a total of 13 goals from Paris's last ten matches on the road.
