PSG vs Montpellier

Paris Saint-Germain’s stuttering Ligue 1 title defense continues at the Parc des Princes against bottom-half Montpellier.

Despite spurning a late penalty, Kylian Mbappe kept his calm to slot home the rebound and hand Paris a dramatic 3-2 win at Brest last weekend, helping them tighten the noose on Ligue 1 leaders Nice. Luis Enrique’s men start this round only one point adrift of the pacesetters after winning three consecutive league games for the first time this season. ‘Les Parisiens’ are finding their feet in the front third, netting 2+ goals in their last three outings, including a 3-0 Champions League victory over AC Milan in their most recent home league match. A quick look at the recent H2H history suggests this should be a walk in the park for PSG, considering they’ve won their last seven home clashes against Montpellier by an aggregate score of 27-3.

Indeed, Montpellier’s prospects in Paris look bleak, especially considering they’ve conceded 4+ goals on five of their last six Ligue 1 visits to the Parc des Princes. Visiting fans can hardly predict which version of ‘La Paillade’ they’ll get, with the visitors blowing hot and cold across their opening nine league games (W3, D3, L3). Their away record is also perfectly balanced (W2, D1, L2) and often follows the same narrative. While their two wins on hostile turf yielded an impressive three-goal margin, both their losses came ‘to nil.’ On the upside, Michel Der Zakarian’s side dismantled Toulouse 3-0 at home last weekend. Despite that success, they’re still only two points clear of the relegation zone.