PSG vs Lorient

Paris Saint-Germain will be desperate to return to winning ways in Ligue 1 when they take on relegation-battling Lorient at the Parc des Princes.

Despite suffering an underwhelming 3-0 defeat away to Monaco on the cusp of March’s international break, PSG are seemingly on course to dethrone last season’s Ligue 1 champions Lille this term. However, that reverse made it three wins from their last four outings across all competitions (W1), including a heartbreaking Champions League exit to Real Madrid. Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have now lost three of their last five Ligue 1 matches (W2), as many defeats as in their previous 36 in the competition (W27, D6). Yet, a substantial 12-point lead on second-placed Rennes gives ‘Les Parisiens’ enough breathing room as they look to snap a two-game winless league streak against Lorient (D1, L1). Before going winless in their last two top-flight H2Hs, Paris had won ten consecutive such fixtures prior, including six straight home victories.

On the other hand, Lorient’s hopes of securing Ligue 1 survival are up in the air, though a run of three unbeaten matches (W2, D1) across their last four league outings steered them away from the drop zone. However, with 18th-placed Saint-Etienne only one point below, the visitors cannot afford to rest on their recent laurels. After racking up back-to-back league victories on the road, ‘Les Merlus’ could make it three in a row in France’s top flight for the first time since November/December 2013. Curiously, they were winless in their previous 28 Ligue 1 travels before putting together two triumphs over Clermont and Brest without conceding. Unfortunately, a disastrous -15 goal difference across their last five league visits to the Parc des Princes (GF:2, GA:17) suggests they could collapse in Paris.