Paris - Saint-Étienne: Back at last!
A week after getting 2025 off to the perfect start by winning the Trophée des Champions against Monaco (1-0), Paris Saint-Germain are set to return to the Parc des Princes and Ligue 1 when they play host AS Saint-Étienne on Sunday 12 January (20:45). We take a look at the standings, the dynamics of the game and the players to watch out for as Les Rouge et Bleu take on a reinvigorated Saint-Etienne side at the start of this new year.
THE TABLE
After a tricky first half of the season, Les Verts have taken advantage of the New Year to bounce back. After heavy defeats to Rennes (5-0) and Marseille (0-4), Olivier Dall'Oglio was replaced as coach, and his successor got off to the best possible start with a 3-1 win over Reims last week. The win lifted ASSE to 16 points, lifting them out of the red zone and into 15th place.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, are still unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season and sit atop the standings with 40 points. What's more, Les Rouge et Bleu have won their last five games in a row, with victories over Salzburg in the Champions League (0-3), Lyon (3-1) and Monaco (2-4) in Ligue 1, Lens in the Coupe de France (1-1, 3-4 on penalties) and Monaco again in the Trophée des Champions (1-0). After 16 games, the Parisians sit seven points clear of nearest challengers Marseille.
KEY STATS
Opposition strengths
Eirik Horneland and his team mainly play in a 4-3-3 formation. In goal, Gautier Larsonneur continues to stand out as Saint-Etienne's last line of defence. In front of Les Verts' captain, home-grown defender Mickaël Nade is also a regular starter. It remains to be seen whether Congolese international Dylan Batubinsika will return alongside him, or whether the return to the squad of the experienced Yunis Abdelhamid could change things. As for Anthony Briançon, the former ASSE captain has yet to play a single minute of league football this season.
At right-back, Sainté are still without Yvann Maçon (knee) and unsurprisingly Dennis Appiah is expected to step in at the Parc, with Léo Pétrot, himself preferred to Pierre Cornud, on the opposite flank. In midfield, Sunderland loanee Pierre Ekwah is expected to play in a holding role, with Thomas Monconduit still short of fitness.
A notch further forward, Benjamin Bouchouari is also expected to start, while Louis Mouton seems to have a head start on Aïmen Moueffek for the last place in midfield. Florian Tardieu, who has been used less this season, remains an option off the bench. Finally, in attack, right-winger Zuriko Davitashvili ( five goals and two assists in all competitions) will be the main asset in a Saint-Etienne attack that is beginning to show some diversity.
Able to play on either flank, Augustine Boakye made a name for himself last week with a brace that could earn him a start against the Parisians. But for that to happen, he will still have to fend off competition from former reims man Mathieu Cafaro. ASSE's Norwegian coach will therefore have to make choices on the wings, but certainly not in the centre-forward position, where Ibrahima Wadji is injured and Ibrahim Sissoko suspended. Belgian U-21 international Lucas Stassin, who has racked up two goals and four assists thisseason, will have the opportunity to confirm his rise to prominence against Les Rouge et Bleu.
