Lorient vs PSG

Relegation-threatened Lorient welcome Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain to the Stade du Moustoir amid the club’s worst-ever losing streak in France’s top-flight.

Lorient appear to be sinking without a trace after losing their last seven Ligue 1 games in a row while failing to get on the scoresheet five times in that spread of matches. Stuck in the drop zone, a point adrift of safety, the hosts go into the calendar year finale winless in their last 11 league fixtures (D3, L8) since a 1-0 home triumph over Nice in September. After losing three consecutive Ligue 1 home outings in the build-up to this clash, ‘Les Merlus’ are facing the prospect of suffering four top-flight home defeats on the trot for the first time since November 2014. That’s very much in the realm of possibility, as they’ve lost 11 of their last 13 league meetings with Paris (W1, D1) despite winning the most recent one in January.

In the meantime, Paris Saint-Germain claimed a clear-cut 3-0 Coupe de France victory over below-par Feignies-Aulnoye, taking their winning streak in all competitions to three. Following a brace of goal-shy draws with Nice and Lens in early December, PSG eased past Monaco 2-0 at home last time out to maintain a comfortable seven-point lead over second-placed Marseille. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have only won two of their last five Ligue 1 away games (D2, L1), scoring under 1.5 goals three times in the process. But Paris will be eyeing up another success here, as they’ve inflicted more Ligue 1 defeats on Lorient in their own backyard (8) than any other side in the competition’s history. There’s been plenty of action in their recent top-flight H2Hs here, as their last four such contests have seen over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring.