Lionel Messi and Neymar have been ruled out of Paris Saint-Germain’s Coupe de France clash with Chateauroux on Friday.
The world-class forwards won’t be put in danger in domestic cup matches against lower-tier opposition because both players will ease their way back into club play at PSG after serving in the 2022 World Cup.
Since his return from Qatar, Neymar has played in just one match and received a red card, while Messi has only recently been welcomed back into training by Ligue 1’s top clubs after leading Argentina to international success in Qatar!
So, these superstars will be rested, but do expect them to play in the game against Angers in Ligue 1!
PSG boss Christophe Galtier said of Messi when asked about his potential involvement in a cup clash with Chateauroux: “Leo trained yesterday and today. He won’t play tomorrow. We’re making sure he’s ready for the next game. We’ll take stock. I’ll be very attentive to what he’s going to do, but we want him to be available for the next match.”
After 17 games played, the club from Paris is top of the table with a 4 points lead over Lens!
They will now face Angers who are dead last on the table with only 8 points!
So this offers to be the perfect opportunity for PSG to create some gap between them and Lens!
On Sunday, mid-table Lorient visited crisis club Angers at Stade Raymond Kopa with the goal of stopping their descent into the trapdoor of Ligue 1.
On their return from the World Cup break, the Loire club lost for the eighth time in a row, and their New Year’s Day opponents made it 9 defeats in a row!
Lorient won the game by 2-1!
Angers, who are currently seven points from safety and are at the bottom of Ligue 1, continue to slide towards an apparent relegation, and it will only become worse when they will meet the best team from Paris!
1×2 Betting Odds
The league leaders take on the team who are sitting bottom of the table, and there is no doubt where the result is heading! Given all their quality and talent, PSG playing at home should be able to gain all three points against bottom placed Angers!
We predict a very, very comfortable victory for Paris Saint-Germain!
And the betting market agrees!
PSG playing under the Eiffel Tower are the favourites to win with odds standing @ 12.50.
Angers who sit bottom of the table are the underdogs in this contest, and the odds that they will continue falling into the abyss, stands @ 25.00.
The possibility of a draw, and the only realistic opportunity for Angers to take anything out of this game, stands @ 12.50.
Total goals over/under
The odds that the total number of goals scored will be over 2.5, stands @ 1.25.
While the odds that the total number of goals will be under 2.5, stands @ 4.40.
The market views this as a high scoring game because of the contrast in quality of players between the two teams!
With Messi predicted to be back in the mix, PSG will win here, and they will win big against a struggling Angers!
