Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre AC kick off the Ligue 1 season on Friday, August 16th at the Stade Océane. PSG start their campaign with Kylian Mbappé for the first time in seven years. Since his first season at the club in 17/18, PSG have won 72% of their Ligue 1 matches without him. They won thirty-three out of forty-six games, which is the same as their winning percentage when Mbappé was playing (148/205).
Although it seems like he will definitely be missed, PSG will be just fine. Ligue 1 is arguably the weakest of the top five European leagues and it shows as PSG have dominated in the past decade. In the past twelve seasons, PSG have won ten titles.
PSG have not lost on match day one in Ligue 1 since 2011; a 1-0 defeat to Lorient. They are heavy favorites in this match as their squad depth is miles above Le Havre. Even without Mbappé, their front three is very strong, which includes Randal Kolo Muani, and Ousmane Dembélé. This is shown as the team led the league in scoring with eighty-one goals, even with Mbappé not starting a majority of matches at the end of the season.
The stats for Le Havre are not very promising either. They have not won any of their last seven Ligue 1 games against Paris Saint-Germain. This includes one draw and six losses. Their last victory against them was back in 1999, when the score was 3-1. This is the third time the two teams have met on match day one, with HAC failing to score in the two previous matches: 0-2 in Paris in 1987 and 0-0 in Le Havre in 1994. HAC have lost their last three Ligue 1 games at home against PSG, after losing only four of their first twelve.
Le Havre’s form in 2024 is also nothing to write about as they have lost ten Ligue 1 games, with no current top-flight team losing more. The HAC have collected just thirteen points so far in the calendar year, which ranks bottom of the list. In the 23/24 season, they placed just one spot above the relegation playoff. But, they were delighted with their final placement considering last season was their first back in the top-flight in fourteen years.
If they are to survive for a second consecutive campaign, then they will have to do so without former manager Luka Elsner, who left the club for Reims in late June. New boss Didier Digard is just thirty-seven years old and his only previous top-flight job was with Nice from January 2023 to June 2023. Digard did start his playing career with HAC back in 2003. New managers always take a little while to settle in, which is why I see HAC getting off to a slow start. It does not help they are playing the reigning champions.
Le Havre vs. Paris Saint-Germain Odds
| Le Havre | Draw | PSG |
| +550 | +360 | -230 |
| ** ESPN Bet Odds Subject to Change** | ||
Le Havre vs. Paris Saint-Germain Match Details
- Fixture: 24/25 Ligue 1
- Date and Time: August 16, 2024 1:45 pm CT
- Location: Stade Océane, Le Havre, France
- Weather: Rain, 72°
- Field Type: Hybrid
Lineups
Le Havre Predicted XI:
Desmas, Sangante, Lloris, Youté, Opéri, Toure, Kuzyaev, Kechta, Casimir, Kitala, Sabbi
Paris Saint-Germain Predicted XI:
Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Beraldo, Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Ruiz, Dembélé, Kolo Muani, Barcola
Prediction
Based on the stats and history, Paris Saint-Germain are sure to roll here. A new boss for Le Havre will have things a little nervy at the Stade Océane. It would not surprise me to see PSG win by multiple goals. They are also out to prove to the world that they still hold giant status even without superstar Kylian Mbappé. Go with Paris Saint-Germain ML here.
Final Pick
Paris Saint-Germain ML @ -230
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