PSG vs Lens prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-11-01 16:00.
[p]After brushing Marseille aside in a convincing 3-0 Le Classique victory last weekend, PSG maintained both their place at Ligue 1’s peak and their unbeaten league record this season (W7, D2). Despite dropping just four points, this represents a weaker start than in four of the last seven completed campaigns, which in itself is a testament to the sky high standards set by the three-time consecutive French champions.[/p]
[p]Playing at home will likely be conducive to PSG’s unbeaten start continuing, as only one side (Toulouse) has beaten them here in just over a year’s worth of league action (W12, D5, L1). That form includes just one clean sheet across the last 15 home league outings though, suggesting that goal-fuelled affairs are often the norm at the Parc Des Princes, just as last season’s 3-1 win against Lens proved to be. [/p]
[p]Four places and nine points separate Lens from PSG ahead of kick-off, a gap which could have been smaller if only Lens didn’t have their eight-game unbeaten start to the season cruelly ended last weekend (W3, D5, L1). That 2-0 defeat to Lille – in which both goals arrived in second-half stoppage time – left them with just nine scored goals after as many rounds, a return which is higher than only the bottom-three sides and makes up less than a third of PSG’s total (G28). [/p]
[p]That lack of goals is often frustrating for neutral viewers, yet despite Lens’ league outings averaging just 1.67 goals per game this term, three of their last four away trips (W1, D3) saw goals at both ends. Another draw wouldn’t necessarily be a bad result against this opposition, as visiting boss Will Still has only faced Nice more often without ever winning, although his two stalemates in three H2Hs suggests that the underdogs could be in with a chance. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: PSG’s Bradley Barcola has scored just one goal fewer than Lens in this league season (G8), netting in both halves of two of his home appearances. Trying to make a nuisance of himself for Lens will be M’Bala Nzola, the centre-forward who has played out stalemates in four of his last six club scoring appearances.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Lens have already avoided defeat in as many league games as betting outsiders this season (D3) as they did in 2023/24 (W1, D2, L6).[/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]