Paris SG vs Lorient prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-04-29 15:05.
PSG will undoubtedly be disappointed not to be participating in this weekend's French Cup final, missing out on the showpiece even for the second consecutive season, but the prospect of a record 11th French title serves as a nice consolation. The real challenge for the Parisians will be not to rest easy on their eight-point lead atop of the table ahead of the round, with coach Christophe Galtier lamenting his players’ “complacency” in spite of their 2-1 win against bottom-placed Angers last weekend.
It seems nigh on impossible that PSG will be denied the Ligue 1 title this term considering five of their final six league outings come against current bottom-half teams. Those types of sides are who PSG have excelled against this season, winning their 15 league matches against such opponents this campaign, so it would be a huge surprise if PSG failed to extend their six-game winning streak in home H2Hs against Lorient.
A bottom-half position after 32 Ligue 1 rounds certainly wasn’t what Lorient aspired to having spent 40% of their season in the top-five, with Sunday’s 1-0 home loss against Toulouse extending their winless streak to five games (D2, L3). Hindered by an 11-point gap to the top-five with only six games remaining, it would take a miracle for the Merlus to make a return to the European stage after a 20-year absence!
Keeping alive those fading hopes will likely require a victory here at Parc des Princes, but their faint hopes are perhaps boosted by the fact PSG will take to the field with a reduced support after the Auteuil stand was ordered to close following the use of pyrotechnic devices. While that context could help Lorient, the fact they’ve lost all of their four away games against current top-five teams by a 2+ goal margin is likely to dampen their optimism.
Players to watch: With another goal here, PSG’s Lionel Messi would edge ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (495 goals) and become the all-time top-scorer in Europe's top-five leagues. Far less prolific, but Lorient’s Ibrahima Koné will be looking to continue a trend that has seen him score in half of his team’s ten competitive away games in 2023.
Hot streak: Lorient have scored before the hour mark in the last four H2Hs.