After a three-year absence from the French top flight, Saturday evening’s hosts, Troyes, will make their comeback to Ligue 1 at their Stade de l’Aube where they’ll entertain last season’s runners-up, PSG, in what looks like being a very tough start to their new campaign.
Troyes finished five points clear at the top of Ligue 2 over runners-up, Clermont, to claim the French second tier league title and also gain automatic promotion back up to Ligue 1 for this upcoming season.
A first training session with the new 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 outfits! 🎥 🛒➡️ https://t.co/kQT22NcDOL pic.twitter.com/AhyJyGwawq— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 4, 2021
A first training session with the new 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 outfits! 🎥 🛒➡️ https://t.co/kQT22NcDOL pic.twitter.com/AhyJyGwawq
Despite last season’s success, Troyes ended last term with a disappointing 3-2 defeat away from home at Le Havre and the hosts have managed just one further win from their subsequent six matches overall, which have all been pre-season friendlies, making it just one win from their last seven games.
In their previous season in the domestic top flight, Troyes managed to register just one win in their final 13 games of that campaign which came in the shape of a 3-1 home win against Caen but also included nine losses.
PSG will have been bitterly disappointed not to have claimed another Ligue 1 title last season as they were pipped at the post by surprise-package, Lille, who thoroughly deserved the domestic title and perhaps ushered in a new era in French top flight football.
The Paris club however will have plenty to say about this season’s title race and they’re expected to be highly motivated for this season-opener against newcomers, Troyes, on Saturday night especially as they also lost to Lille in the recent Super Cup, 1-0.
Three defeats in six matches from mid-February through to early April saw PSG suffer hiccups against Monaco, Nantes and Lille, and although they pulled themselves together to win six of their final seven matches overall in Ligue 1, it proved to be not enough to oust Lille at the top of the division.
Nevertheless, PSG won seven of their final eight matches away from home towards the end of last season, scoring a total of 21 goals and conceding just 5 in reply and if they can replicate this sort of form on Saturday evening, they should account for Troyes in comfortable fashion.
PSG have won the previous seven meetings on the trot and the visitors should possess too much quality in the final third against their newly-promoted hosts.