Paris Saint-Germain V Nimes
Sunday 11th August 2019 – 20:00 Kick-Off
French Ligue 1
Pick: Mbappe to Score & PSG to WIN
Odds: 4/7
Bookmaker: SkyBet
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/100 | 19/2 | 27/1 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 8th August 2019 at 20:40)
Preview: The reigning French champions are back in action in the final fixture on the opening weekend of the 2019/20 Ligue 1, doing so at home to Nimes. This same fixture produced a comfortable victory for the Paris powerhouse last season, as a couple of goals from star man Kylian Mbappe helped PSG ease to a 3-0 scoreline at the Parc des Princes.
French Ligue 1 Betting with 22Bet
PSG Preview – Mbappe & Co. to run riot in Paris?
To claim a sixth Ligue 1 title in the past seven seasons was all good and well but 2018/19 was interesting to say the least. As despite sauntering to another championship, doing so by a margin of 16 points no less, we discovered that the dominant force in French football actually had weaknesses. The first seemingly being themselves, with further reports of unrest inside the dressing room. The second, meanwhile, being a finishing line.
Les Parisiens had wrapped up the title long before the season was remotely close to reaching its crescendo. PSG, though, seemed to spend what felt like an eternity attempting to confirm it. Their opening 29 league fixtures produced an astonishing 26 victories, thus giving them an insurmountable lead at the summit. Yet some dire form in the closing stages, when winning only three of their remaining nine matches (W3 D2 L4), meant a long wait before the title was officially confirmed.
At home, however, Thomas Tuchel’s men remained imperious throughout. Just twice, against Strasbourg and Nice, did the PSG juggernaut fail to register maximum points at fortress Parc des Princes in Paris (W17 D2 L0, GF63 GA10), scoring at an absurd rate of over 3 a game (3.32). Just over a third of that total was scored by star man Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman notching 21 of his 33 strikes at home to claim his maiden Golden Boot in Ligue 1.
In last season’s repeat of this fixture, Mbappe located the back of net twice in a 3-0 victory. The supremely talented 20-year-old is short odds to net again versus the same opposition (8/15 with WilliamHill). He could be joined in the starting XI by several new faces as well, with the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Ander Herrara and Pablo Sarabia smartly recruited in the summer.
Nimes Preview – Leaky visitors unlikely to keep scoring down?
Located in southern France, Nimes are a club that had spent almost three decades in the lower divisions before earning promotion into Ligue 1 for the 2018/19 season. Under the circumstances then, a ninth place finish last time around was reasonably impressive, especially as it was achieved in an entertaining manner – no team outside of the top five scored more than Bernard Blaquart’s team.
The challenge now will be to maintain those high levels. Unfortunately for them, they lucked out and have been handed the worst possible fixture to open their accounts in the new term. The omens are far from encouraging, either; not only were Nimes comfortably beaten in this very same fixture, losing 3-0 in Paris back in February, but their away record would suggest an uphill battle if they wish to keep the scoreline down to a minimum.
Les Crocodiles actually finished with a respectable record on the road of W6 D3 L10, but only bottom side Guingamp shipped more than their tally of 38 goals, which was almost double the amount the team conceded back at home. Furthermore, a 3-0 victory at Reims was their only winning outcome from their final seven away fixtures (W1 D1 L5).
To compound matters, the club allowed some important players to depart during the summer transfer window. Midfielders Teji Savanier and Denis Bouanga were among those who jumped ship and, although some fresh faces have arrived in return, it remains to be seen how much of an impact these movements will have on the team.
PSG V Nimes Key Facts:
- PSG went the entire 2018/19 Ligue 1 season undefeated in Paris (W17 D9).
- Nimes finished last season in a respectable ninth but having won only one of their final seven away matches (W1 D1 L5).
- Last season’s meeting between these two teams in Paris produced a 3-0 scoreline for PSG, with Mbappe on target twice.
Betting Summary
PSG typically turn up and, more often than not, they win. Usually with a swagger and scoring plenty of goals. Last season saw them breach the 100 goals scored mark (105), while nobody could touch them in Paris, where they went the entire league campaign undefeated (W17 D2). This particular fixture caused them no bother at all, easing to a 3-0 win.
Nimes enjoyed a fantastic first season back in Ligue 1 in 2018/19, finishing well clear of the relegation places in ninth. They weren’t necessarily the worst travellers in the league (their away record of W6 D3 L10 was better than eight other sides) but only one team conceded more often, with Les Crocodiles shipping goals at a rate of more than two a game away from home.
A staggering 74% of Nimes’ away matches in 2018/19 produced three or more goals, which is an ominous statistic ahead of facing a team that blasted over a century of goals en route to claiming yet another French championship. Value is thin on the ground, unsurprisingly, but Mbappe to score in a PSG victory looks a potential winner to me. It certainly was last season.
