With Ligue 1 Matchday 1 against Le Havre AC on Friday 16 August at the Stade Océane (8:45pm), we take a look at the first official match of the season for the capital club. Featuring the dynamics and the players to watch, we preview the match that awaits our Red and Blues against the Havrais.
Summer preparation
After two positive draws against Dutch clubs AZ Alkmaar (1-1) and NEC Nijmegen (1-1), fourth and sixth respectively in the last Eredivisie, HAC lost twice last weekend. The first defeat came at the hands of Ligue 2 side Red Star FC (1-2), before a heavy loss to Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum (0-6) at the Stade Océane.
For their part, Paris Saint-Germain have welcomed back their internationals in stages, and played their first warm-up game against SK Sturm Graz in midweek. That match ended in a 2-2 draw with the reigning Austrian champions, before a similar result last Saturday at the Red Bull Arena against RB Leipzig (1-1), who finished fourth in the Bundesliga.
DYNAMICS IN NUMBERS
THE OPPOSITION
Didier Digard and his team primarily play two systems: 5-3-2 and 4-3-3. In goal, it is once again goalkeeper Arthur Desmas who should be in the No1 role, while Mathieu Gorgelin could be his understudy. In central defence, rock and captain Arouna Sangante should start the game, probably accompanied by Gautier Lloris, while Étienne Youté Kinkoué could also start in a five-man defence.
Usually regular starters, full-backs Loïc Nego and Christopher Operi are doubtful for the match against the Parisians. Moroccan international Oualid El Hajjam and Rassoul Ndiaye would then be the two options for the right flank, while Yanis Zouaoui could start too. In midfield, the Abdoulaye Touré/Daler Kuzyaev tandem is emerging as one of the keys to Le Havre's game plan. With Yassine Kechta and Oussama Targhalline yet to return from their Olympic commitments, 18-year-old Ismaïl Bouneb could get his chance in the middle of the park at some stage of the game.
In attack, the lively Josué Casimir and Emmanuel Sabbi are the favourites to start on the wings. However, Antoine Joujou and Samuel Grandsir remain credible alternatives, especially as Le Havre's coach, who spent the 2007-2008 season with the capital club, is still looking for the right formula in the first months of the season. It is therefore difficult to predict the attacking choices that the Normandy staff will make, while Steve Ngoura and Yann Kitala have more central profiles. Les Rouge et Bleu's defence has been warned: it will have to be ready for any eventuality...
