Reims vs PSG
Relegation front-runners Reims face the toughest test in French football as out-of-this-world Paris Saint-Germain side arrive at the Stade Auguste-Delaune.
After avoiding finishing in the relegation play-off spot by a mere two points last season, Reims have struggled to improve this term, starting their 2021/22 Ligue 1 campaign with three draws in a row. As a result, they are now winless in their last 11 top-flight fixtures (D7, L4), which stands for the longest ongoing such streak in Ligue 1. What’s more, a run of ten straight home league outings without a victory (D7, L3) means the hosts look like a doomed outfit here. Adding to this sentiment, Reims lost both last season’s top-flight H2Hs by over 1.5 goals ‘to nil,’ though it’s worth noting that they’ve never lost three consecutive Ligue 1 clashes against PSG. Given a return of 0.9 goals scored on average across their last ten home Ligue 1 outings, that trend seems likely to end now.
The stage is set for superstar forward Lionel Messi to make his debut for PSG as the visitors aim to extend their 100% start to the season here. Despite failing to keep a clean sheet across their opening three Ligue 1 fixtures, ‘Les Parisiens’ have come out on top of each encounter and could now record a perfect four-game start to a new top-flight season for the sixth time in the club’s history. Free-scoring Paris have netted an intimidating average of 3.33 goals in their opening three league matches en route to taking their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to ten (W9, D1). Mauricio Pochettino’s star-studded team have also racked up an impressive ten-game undefeated streak in away Ligue 1 outings (W9, D1), notching up an average of 2.7 goals in the process.