Machine is slowly starting up and warming up for total domination

Angers head to the Parc des Princes on Friday to take on defending Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, hoping to break a daunting streak of 18 straight defeats against the European powerhouse.

Although PSG skipped a full pre-season, Luis Enrique’s side kicked off their league campaign with a solid win at Nantes, and now face another opponent capable of taking all three points in their first home match of the 2025-26 season. Enrique had suggested that the early competitive fixtures would make up for their lack of pre-season action, and PSG proved that point with a controlled 1-0 victory over Nantes last time out.

Even without being fully prepared, the European champions were dominant: they restricted Nantes to just five shots, none on target, while registering 18 of their own. Clear-cut opportunities were rare, but PSG never looked likely to drop points, having returned from their European Super Cup triumph over Tottenham Hotspur just days earlier.

PSG fans will expect nothing less than another victory on Friday. Historically, the Parisians have had the upper hand, winning 18 consecutive matches against Angers across all competitions, with their last slip-up coming in a goalless draw back in December 2015.

Last season, the fixture ended 1-0 in PSG’s favor, though the scoreline belied their dominance — the Ligue 1 giants outshot Angers 20-4 and were just four days away from their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Aston Villa.

Traveling Angers supporters are well aware of their club’s struggles at Parc des Princes. They haven’t beaten PSG since January 1975 and have failed to score in consecutive visits, underlining their status as heavy underdogs. Alexandre Dujeux, who has been in charge for three of Angers’ last defeats to PSG, including two last season under Enrique, will be looking for tactical improvements.

Despite their historical woes, Angers arrive in gameweek two with some optimism after opening the season with a narrow 1-0 win over Ligue 1 newcomers Paris FC. Their victory, however, came with challenges — debutant Louis Mouton was sent off in the 57th minute, and 12 of Paris FC’s 17 shots came from outside the box, highlighting the pressure Angers faced even against a returning top-flight side.

While their defensive display against Paris FC was commendable, Dujeux’s squad will need an even stronger performance on Friday if they hope to avoid extending their losing streak to 19 games against the reigning European champions.

LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 2

Friday

21.45: (1.08) PSG (13.0) Angers (20.0)

Satuday

18.00: (1.42) Olympique Marseille (4.50) Paris (7.75)

20.00: (1.67) Nice (4.00) Auxerre (5.00)

22.05: (1.40) Olympique Lyon (4.70) Metz (8.00)

Sunday

16.00: (2.85) Lorient (3.25) Rennes (2.55)

18.15: (3.90) Le Havre (3.60) Lens (2.05)

18.15: (1.80) Strasbourg (3.75) Nantes (4.75)

18.15: (2.10) Toulouse (3.50) Brest (3.80)

21.45: (3.00) Lille (3.50) Monaco (2.45)

***odds are subject to change***