PSG vs Lorient

Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 title defense gets underway at the Parc des Princes against perennial mid-table strugglers Lorient.

Despite leading PSG to a record-breaking 11th Ligue 1 title in his only season at the club, manager Christophe Galtier parted company with the Paris heavyweights at the end of last season. It’s now up to new boss Luis Enrique to navigate PSG’s way toward another domestic success without three key components. With Lionel Messi gone and KylianMbappe in an open war with the club, Neymar recently requested to leave the Parc des Princes, leaving Enrique to work with bare bones. The Brazilian forward scored twice in a 3-0 friendly win over Jeonbuk Motors last time out in what could prove his final appearance for ‘Les Parisiens.’ His goals helped the French colossi overcome a three-match winless pre-season run (D1, L2). If it’s any consolation, PSG registered three shutouts in five summer friendlies.

Meanwhile, Lorient defied expectations last season to claim an impressive 10th-place finish despite being tipped for relegation. But they lost their touch down the final stretch of 2022/23, going winless in three consecutive league outings (D1, L2) before squeezing past Strasbourg 2-1 on the last weekend. Playing away from home has been Lorient’s Achilles heel in 2023, as they’ve only managed two wins on 11 top-flight travels this calendar year (D3, L6). Interestingly, one of those triumphs came at the Parc des Princes in Apil. Regis Le Bris’s men stunned PSG 3-1 to arrest a six-game losing league run in Paris, during which they only scored three goals while conceding 22 in return.