AC Ajaccio – Paris SG : Preview & Prediction
A relegation-threatened Ajaccio were looking to build on their big 2-1 win at Marseille on matchday ten, and arguably succeeded to some extent, coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw away to Troyes at the weekend. Although coach Olivier Pantaloni said he was “relieved” after Mounaim El Idrissy scored an 88th-minute equaliser, Riad Nouri’s 37th-minute penalty miss, Ajaccio’s second this season, understandably left him feeling “unsatisfied”.
However, a home game is unlikely to bring any comfort to the “Acéistes”, who are still waiting for their first win of the season at the Stade François-Coty (E1, P4), their current run of four home defeats in a row being the longest in the club’s top flight history. A lack of quality in the final third is one of the reasons for the losing streak, with Pantaloni’s side having scored just two goals at home so far, the fewest in the division.
Paris Saint-Germain bounced back from three consecutive official draws with a 1-0 win over Marseille in the famous “Classique” last matchday, leaving coach Christophe Galtier clearly pleased. Galtier lamented the fact that his side could not score a second goal, that game being part of a run of four games in a row with fewer than 1.5 goals scored, their longest streak in more than two years.
The visitors could be confident that streak will come to an end here, given that PSG have scored two or more goals in all but one of their previous four visits to Ajaccio (G3, E1), as well as in their last four away games against newly promoted teams (G3, E1). The Parisians will also be looking to extend their current run of four consecutive clean sheets in Ligue 1, and remarkably, doing so would mark their longest such run since early 2016.
Players to watch: Ajaccio could count on Thomas Mangani for a good start, having scored all four of his previous four Ligue 1 goals before half-time, all from the penalty spot. Probably disappointed with his sixth-place finish in the Ballon d’Or, Kylian Mbappé could console himself with taking top spot in the scoring charts with a brace here.
Weekend stat: Seven of the ten previous meetings between these sides have seen the first goal come before the half-hour mark.
AC Ajaccio – Paris SG : Betting Tips
OVER 3.5 GOALS Odds: 2.25
