Le Havre vs PSG prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-08-15 18:45.
[p]Le Havre finished just three points ahead of the relegation zone in Ligue 1 last term, so it was mission accomplished in terms of surviving their first top-flight season since 2008/09. After manager Luka Elsner left for Reims in June, Didier Digard is the new man in charge at Stade Océane and he returns to the club with which he started his professional playing career after a caretaker stint at Nice.[/p]
[p]Digard’s second senior club was Paris Saint-Germain, who he now faces in a daunting first game in the dugout for Le Havre, especially since they haven’t won their opening league game of the season since 2017/18 (D5, L1). Home advantage could go some way to bucking that trend as Le Havre claimed 62% of their league points here last term (W6, D2, L9), while their sole H2H victory since way back in January 1998 came on their own turf (W1, D1, L8 at all venues).[/p]
[p]PSG finished last season nine points clear of their nearest competitors, but they go into a new campaign without Kylian Mbappé for the first time since 2016 after the Frenchman left to join Real Madrid in the summer. They haven’t signed any new forwards, but manager Luis Enrique is not exactly short of options with Randal Kolo Muani and Gonçalo Ramos leading the line in recent friendlies.[/p]
[p]The Parisians went through the whole of last season without losing an away league game (W13, D4), and would love to start this campaign as they finished the last after scoring 2+ goals in each of their last five such fixtures (W5). They ought to be confident given they also managed that on their last visit here, winning 2-0 in December.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Of the three players to have netted five league goals for Le Havre last term, only Emmanuel Sabbi remains at the club and Le Havre lost none of his four goalscoring Ligue 1 outings last season (W2, D2). Kolo Muani is similarly unbeaten when scoring for PSG (W7, D1), with five of his last six goals for the club arriving after the 75th minute.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: PSG have opened seven of their last nine league campaigns by keeping a clean sheet (W7, D1, L1).[/p]
[p][i]Written by John Pennington[/i][/p]