PSG hope to Hav(r)e an easy task without Mbappe

Regardless of the opponent's name and status, the opening game is sometimes the toughest. Paris Saint-Germain indeed felt it last season when they drew in the first Ligue 1 round against the underdogs Lorient 0-0 at Parc des Princes, and they do not want to start this season "from behind" as well.

On the other hand, Le Havre's hopes are dashed by the last clash against the Saints in April when the crew from the capital of France salvaged a draw in the dying minutes thanks to Goncalo Ramos' 94th-minute goal after being two goals down (3-1).

However, despite their good form on the home turf, Le Havre's last triumph over the Parisians came 25 years ago. Since then, the two teams have met nine times, with PSG winning eight. Moreover, the current champions did not lose a single away game last season.

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This match will also mark the possible debut of PSG's latest reinforcement from Benfica - Joao Neves. On the other hand, Manuel Ugarte won't be on the squad, given that his transfer to Manchester United is close to being realized. Still, for the first time since 2017, the Saints will be deprived of Kylian Mbappe's help, who moved to Real Madrid. With Victor Osimhen's transfer to Paris still being a long shot, Luis Enrique will have to put his hopes into Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani.

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Nevertheless, the Spaniard's problems do not lie within the offensive line but in defence instead. Namely, Lucas Hernandez is out due to a knee injury, Presnel Kimpembe is still a convalescent, while Nuno Mendes is under a carryover suspension from last season. Still, Achraf Hakimi, the skipper Marquinhos, Danilo Pereira, Nordi Mukiele, and Milan Skriniar are certainly up for the task. In addition, Enrique recently often gave a chance in defence to the youngsters Yoram Zague and Willian Pacho, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least one of them in the starting 11.

LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 1

Friday

21.45: (7.00) Le Havre (4.50) PSG (1.45)

Saturday

18.00: (2.80) Brest (3.30) Olympique Marseille (2.55)

20.00: (3.40) Reims (3.50) Lille (2.25)

22.00: (1.53) Monaco (4.20) Saint-Etienne (6.25)

Sunday

16.00: (3.10) Auxerre (3.20) Nice (2.40)

18.00: (5.60) Angers (3.70) Lens (1.65)

18.00: (2.10) Montpellier (3.50) Strasbourg (3.80)

18.00: (2.15) Toulouse (3.35) Nantes (3.80)

21.45: (2.40) Rennes (3.50) Olympique Lyon (3.10)

***odds are subject to change***