Everything on Auxerre-Paris

a little bit of history...

The return of Auxerre-Paris. Ten years after being relegated to Ligue 2, the Burgundy-based club has returned to play against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2022-2023 season.

The two teams have met 74 times in official matches, with 31 wins, 22 draws and 21 defeats for the players from the capital.

Last time out, the Parisians won 5-0 against Auxerre. A 5-goal difference, the largest victory for the Red and Blue in the 45 official matches between the two teams.

The first time Paris visited Auxerre was in a friendly match on 20 July 1976, almost 47 years ago (3-0 victory for Paris). At the time AJA were playing in the second division.

It was at Auxerre that, for the first time in the history of Paris Saint-Germain, an outfield player replaced a goalkeeper during a match in the first division. Dominique Baratelli left the field early with an injury (27'), leaving his place in goal to the captain Dominique Bathenay (Paris lost 2-3 on 20 May 1983), 40 years ago almost to the day. There was no substitute goalkeeper on the bench...

Ronaldinho also made his first Parisian appearance at the Abbé Deschamps on 4 August 2001 (final score 1-1).

Only one Parisian player has scored a brace at Auxerre: Stéphane Sessègnon, on 13 December 2008 (2-1 to Paris).

19 players have played for both teams: Joël Bats, Edouard Cissé, Oumar Dieng, Alec Georgen, Alain Goma, Ruddy Haddad, Gérard Hallet, Bonaventure Kalou, Yann Lachuer, Gérard Lanthier, Ronan Le Crom, Dominique Lokoli, Peguy Luyindula, Stéphane Mahé, Didier Martel, Franck Merelle, Alain Roche, Kays Ruiz-Atil, and Sammy Traoré. Mohamed Sissoko and the late Michel N'Gom were both at Auxerre but never played an official match for the Burgundy first team.

Pedro Miguel Pauleta is the top scorer for Paris against Auxerre, with six goals. He is ahead of Vincent Guérin, Nenê and George Weah (4 goals).

The stakes...

Paris Saint-Germain are six points clear of second-placed RC Lens before the start of Matchday 36 and could be crowned champions as early as Sunday if they win at Auxerre, and if Lens do not win at Lorient.

Paris is still in the running to achieve an unprecedented feat in the French top flight: the Red and Blue have been leaders since the first round of Ligue 1 and could become the first club to top the table throughout the whole season.

The capital club is on a 5-game winning streak away from home (Marseille 3-0, Brest 2-1, Nice 2-0, Angers 2-1, Troyes 3-1). The club's record is 8 consecutive wins, during the 2016-2017 season.

Paris have also won 13 times this season on the road in 17 matches played (1 draw and 3 defeats) and can still match their record of 15 wins in 19 matches, in the 2015-2016 season.

keys to the match...

The capital club has 81 points after 35 Ligue 1 matches this season. This is only the 5th time Paris has reached at least this total at this stage of the competition (counting 3 points for a win), after 2013-2014 (83 points), 2015-2016 (87 points), 2017-2018 (91 points) and 2018-2019 (85 points).

Kylian Mbappé has scored at least 1 goal in his last 5 Ligue 1 matches for the Parisian club (Lens, Angers, Lorient, Troyes and AC Ajaccio). The number 7 is still in the running for a 5th consecutive top scorer title, and to equal Jean-Pierre Papin's record (from 1987 to 1992).

The Parisian striker will also want to open his goal account at the Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps. Auxerre is one of three clubs this season in Ligue 1 that has not conceded a home goal scored by the Red and Blue's number 7, along with Lens and Lorient, but the Parisian striker has never played in Burgundy with Paris Saint-Germain to date.

Hugo Ekitike could play his 50th match in Ligue 1 (26 matches with Reims, 23 with Paris Saint-Germain).