On Saturday, Les Rouge et Bleu return to Coubertin for Liqui Moly StarLigue Matchday 25, playing host to Tremblay in a crucial match in the title race. Find out everything you need to know about this clash with our neighbours from Seine-Saint-Denis.
Contrasting seasons
This end of season is definitely a tense one. Our Rouge et Bleu excel under pressure and have their eyes firmly fixed on their goals. In their last three matches, Raul Gonzalez's men have not only rediscovered their cutting edge in front of goal, but also their defensive solidity. In the Coupe de France, Paris secured their place in the final against Montpellier by beating Chambéry at Coubertin (39-27). This success gave a confidence boost to Elohim Prandi and his teammates, who followed up with two more demonstrations of strength against Toulouse (36-25) and Cesson Rennes (29-42). In total, the capital club have now won eight consecutive matches. This excellent form allows Paris to maintain a three-point lead over The H at the top of the standings.
For Tremblay, the momentum is quite the opposite. The Seine-Saint-Denis team have been very inconsistent this season. The newly promoted side has surprised on several occasions, notably with wins against Toulouse (31-25), Dunkerque (27-26), Aix (25-28) and Chambéry (27-28). However, Chérif Hamani's team has come to a complete standstill in recent weeks, with four defeats in a row. While the fixture list has not necessarily been favourable (Montpellier, Limoges, Nîmes and Aix), some setbacks have left deeper scars than others. Last week's defeat against a PAUC team decimated by injuries was particularly disappointing. Now tenth, Tremblay are not completely out of the relegation battle, as they are only five points ahead of Cesson-Rennes.
Goal fest on the cards?
Despite numerous difficulties in defence in recent weeks, Tremblay have shown themselves to be effective in attack. Last week, the Seine-Saint-Denis team showed two sides to their game at the Palais des Sports. After a poor first half (13-23), Mehdi Hamani's men fought back in the second half to score 21 goals. However, it was not enough to avoid defeat (34-37). The main threat in Tremblay's ranks is Mattéo Fadhuile, who is hot on the heels of Kamil Syprzak in the goal-scoring standings. The 22-year-old centre-half is proving to be one of the revelations of the season, with 131 goals already to his name. Decisive in the reverse fixture against Paris (three goals, seven assists), he will undoubtedly be one to watch at Coubertin on Saturday. However, his long-range duel with Kamil promises to be particularly tough, given our Polish pivot's recent form. With 163 goals so far, only Dunkerque's Tom Pelayo has scored more (191 goals).
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Watch out for Rubens Pierre
Beating the drop often comes down to small details - especially when you're a newly promoted team - and Rubens Pierre could be the difference maker. In 2020, the Seine-Saint-Denis team left the top flight after a tough season. In his first season as a professional, Rubens Pierre showed great promise, but was unable to save his team. However, the 25-year-old goalkeeper has undoubtedly forged his reputation in the second tier. This season, Rubens Pierre has alternated between personal exploits and slumps, but has established himself as an expert in one particular area: penalty throws. With 22 saves from penalties, no goalkeeper has done better in the top flight so far this season. So Kamil, Ferran, Yahia and co. have been warned: they will have to redouble their efforts to avoid giving the Tremblay goalkeeper any confidence.
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Key stats
15. In the reverse fixture, Kamil Syprzak put in his best performance in a Rouge et Bleu shirt, converting 15 of his 16 attempts. The capital club won comfortably at the Palais des Sports in Tremblay (32-40).
16. Paris Saint-Germain have now won 16 consecutive matches against Tremblay. Overall, the capital club dominates the head-to-head record with 18 wins, one draw and nine defeats.
150. Last week, Kamil Syprzak celebrated his 150th match in Rouge et Bleu with nine goals against Cesson Rennes.
450. Ferran Solé also celebrated a major milestone against the Bretons, scoring his 450th goal. With five goals at the Glaz Arena, our Spanish winger now has 453 goals for Paris.
Matchday 25 fixtures
Friday 25 April, 20:00
Pays d’Aix - Istres
Chambéry - Créteil
Limoges - Cesson Rennes
Montpellier - Chartres
Nîmes - Dunkerque
Friday 25 April, 20:30
Ivry - Toulouse
Saturday 26 April, 20:00
Paris - Tremblay at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin, broadcast on BeIn Sports Max 4 and to be followed on our live tweet.
(Credits: E. Renard/Team Pics/PSG)