In a dramatic flourish on their website, Ligue 1 bottom side Le Havre have called Paris Saint-Germain a team to “haunt our sleepless nights”, full of “footballers of extravagant class and dazzling talent” as the leaders travel to Stade Oceane on the night before Halloween.
“There are terrifying creatures everywhere” Le Havre for example, citing the “brilliant” like Illia Zabarnyi, Warren Zaire-Emery, Mika Godts, Ferran Torres and Desire Doue.
To counter the threat, says head coach Didier Digard, the Le Club Doyen squad must “be ourselves” and “represent Le Havre, the club, the city.”
“We have to demonstrate the values that have allowed our club to stay three years in a row, with so much fighting spirit, selflessness and solidarity,” said Digard. “And believing in ourselves. That’s the foundation of all success.”
of PSG Form is also a foreboding as they beat Lyon 2-0 at home for the first time this season on Monday to record their eighth straight win in all competitions.
“Every time we’ve been there or faced teams considered weaker, we’ve had problems,” warned the coach. Luis Enrique.
“Even though we are at the top of the table and they go down, there will be difficult moments to manage during the game.
“It’s a test and a challenge for us. We have to keep looking for sources of motivation to perform well. It’s never easy to go play in Le Havre.”
“They cause problems… they are one of the teams in Ligue 1 that have made more crosses. We have to show that we are ready to overcome it.”
Le Havre vs PSG team news
Right-backs Timothee Pembele (adductor) and Elias Jelert (hamstring) are out for Le Havre, as is centre-half Stephan Zagadou (knee).
Winger Felix Mambimbi has not featured this season due to an Achilles tendon injury, which is also the problem affecting goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau.
Defender Marquinhos and forward Ousmane Dembele are out for PSG with hamstring problems, while winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has a serious knee injury.
Left back Nuno Mendes and goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni have dead legs.
Expected line-up of Le Havre and PSG
Le Havre: Gauthier Gallon, Ayumu Seko, Junior Mwanga, Ahmed Touba, Djibril Ouziad, Enzo Koffi, Rassoul Ndiaye, Simon Ebonog, Amir Richardson, Rayan Fofana, Mbwana Samatta
PSG: Matvey Safonov, Achraf Hakimi, Ilya Zabarnyi, Willian Pacho, Lucas Hernandez, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Maghnes Akliouche, Ferran Torres, Desire Doue
Where to watch Le Havre vs PSG: TV channel, live streaming online
Kick-off on Friday is at 18:00 GMT (14:00 ET / 11:00 PT), with live UK coverage on Amazon Prime PPVwhich charges £2.49 for the game.
League 1 pass it also shows live matches, costing £9.99 a month or £79.99 a season.
Le Havre vs PSG stats, Ligue 1 form
- Le Havre (131) and Paris Saint-Germain (163) have had the most attempts on goal in Ligue 1 this season alongside Brest (136).
- Since a 3-1 home win in October 1999, Le Havre are winless in 11 games against PSG (all league), losing 10 times and drawing 3-3 in April 2024.
- Three of their four wins against PSG have come at home, also winning on home soil in March 1997 and April 1987.
- After eight games, they are the only team still to have won Ligue 1 this season (2 draws and 6) and are three points clear of second-placed Troyes and five clear of Strasbourg immediately outside the relegation zone.
- Midfielder Simon Ebonog has suffered the fourth most fouls in the division this season (20), behind Strasbourg’s Gessime Yassine (23), Lorient’s Jean-Victor Makengo (24) and Monaco’s Lamine Camara (26).
- PSG have lost 12% of their Ligue 1 games against Le Havre (4 out of 34), which is a better record than any other team they have faced at least that many times, apart from Brest (8%).
- Luis Enrique’s side have scored in each of their last 14 away league games, netting 28 times during that stretch to set the current best such run in the top flight.
- They have not lost any of their six away games in all competitions this season, winning four in a row since opening the campaign with draws at Rennes and Lille.
- Cristian Casseres Jr (860) of Toulouse is the only player to have touched the ball more than PSG’s Vitinha (808) in Ligue 1 this season.
- Vitinha has completed 85 more passes than any other player (682) and attempted 66 more (740), achieving a success rate of 92%
Le Havre vs PSG prediction for Ligue 1 match
Le Havre 0-2 PSG
Le Havre’s only defeat by more than one goal this season was a 3-1 defeat at home to Auxerre, although they went down 4-0 at Marseille last Sunday before replying three times. PSG are in excellent form but the hosts’ results suggest they will keep the scoreline respectable on an occasion they are clearly charged with.
