Saint Etienne always drop their heads when PSG comes calling.
Rightly so, PSG seems to have their number as Saint Etienne just cannot beat them of late.
Not that Claud Puel’s side are one of the poorest sides in the division but rather PSG are just a handful for them whenever the two clash.
Etienne’s last League victory over the Parisians dates back to November 2012 when a certain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang netted the winner in a 2-1 victory at the Parc des Princes.
Since then, the two have faced off 19 times with PSG winning 14 of those clashes and drawing the other five.
Like it has been in the last couple of years, it will once again have to take some performance for Puel’s side to get even a point from Sunday night’s game as PSG are absolutely flying at the moment.
Off a 5-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League, Tomas Tuchel’s side are currently on a 7-game unbeaten run in all competitions that has seen win six in the process.
The only game they did not win in that fold was the 2-2 draw away to Real Madrid, one that saw them come from two goals down to get a point off the record European Champions.
In the League, PSG have won all their last four games including the 3-1 victory away to Montpellier last weekend.
The last time they lost a game was at the start of November when they surprisingly fell 2-1 away to Dijon.
With the front four of Neymar Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi all in good form, Etienne may as well have to wait to break their 7-year old duck.
Their form does not help them either as Etienne have lost both of their last two competitive fixtures.
A 3-1 loss to Reims last weekend was followed up with a 1-0 loss to Wolfsburg in the Europa League on Thursday ensuring that they have won just a single game in their last six competitive games.
With PSG without any known absentees for the game, Etienne will miss the services of Timothee Kolodziejczak who is suspended. Yohan Cabaye and Kevin Monnet Paquet are also major doubts for the clash.
As PSG eyes victory against Etienne, Marseille will also feel they can earn three more points away to struggling Metz on Saturday.
Andre Villas-Boaz’s side look to have picked up form of late as they have won all their last six league games including the last one against Bordeaux last Sunday.
Goals are going in at the right end as they have scored at least two in each of those six games while defensively, they are not wanting either.
In that period, Marseille have let in just four goals and not more than once in any of those games whilst keeping two clean sheets.
Boaz and his side will know that this is a wonderful opportunity to keep pace with PSG with only five points separating them at the top.
For Metz, they are in a desperate situation at the moment as they find themselves occupying the relegation playoff spot at the moment.
They have gone seven games minus victory (D4 L3) and are coming off a 4-1 loss away to Nice on game week 17.
With a host of unavailable players, the home side will most likely lose the contest to a Marseille side that will be without only long-term absentee-Florian Thauvin.
Last season, Marseille beat Metz home and away including a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
Ligue One football this weekend starts on Friday with third-placed Lille hosting Montpellier. Improving Monaco will also be in action away to poor Angers on Saturday as they seek to move out of the bottom half. Lyon will face Rennes on Sunday as Rudi Garcia hope to make it two victories in as many games following their 4-0 win over Reims last time out.
All the French Ligue One Match-day 18 fixtures
Friday, 13-12-2019
-Lille vs Montpellier @10:45pm
Saturday, 14-12-2019
-Metz vs Marseille @7:30pm
-Nimes vs Nantes @10pm
-Angers vs Monaco @10pm
-Toulouse vs Reims @10pm
-Amiens vs Dijon @10pm
-Brest vs Nice @10pm
Sunday, 15-12-2019
-Bordeaux vs Strasbourg @5pm
-Lyon vs Rennes @7pm
-Saint Etienne vs PSG @11pm
