FRANCE: Super Cup
Date: 01-08-21
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Bloomfield Stadium (Tel-Aviv)
The 45th Trophée des Champions gets underway at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv with a clash that pits Ligue 1’s (L1) best defence last season, Lille (0.61 goals conceded on average per match), against the division’s best attack, Paris Saint-Germain (2.26 goals scored on average). There’s plenty of motivation for current L1 champions Lille to go for victory, including their aim to win back-to-back competitive H2Hs for the first time in almost 20 years!
Lille upset the odds in 2020/21 to win their first L1 title in ten years, beating defending champions PSG by one point in arguably the best title race in recent years. Now Lille will look to put the icing on the cake and win this trophy for the first time, after losing their previous two Trophée des Champions matches (1955, 2011). With each of those two previous clashes witnessing at least eight match goals, history suggests we could be in for a wild ride.
PSG surrendered the title after losing eight of their 38 top-flight fixtures last season (W26, D4, L8) – their worst such tally across the last ten campaigns. However they make a historic 15th appearance in the Trophée des Champions here, after winning their last eight such matches. Of those eight, four saw PSG win by a 2+ goal margin, whilst the other four ended 2-1.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has signed a host of big names in his quest to get PSG’s French crown back, and this clash could show his side’s intentions early. However, with 70% of the goals PSG have scored across their last four Trophée des Champions matches coming after HT, it may be the second period where PSG’s superstars start to shine.
Players to watch: Burak Yılmaz ended 2020/21 with an impressive seven goals across his last seven L1 matches, including four as Lille’s first scorer. With several key players still on holiday, PSG may rely on Mauro Icardi who opened the scoring in last year’s Trophée des Champions.
.Recent Stats:
- Lille’s form in last 5 matches: LLDLW.
- Paris SG’s form in last 5 matches: DWWDW.
PREDICTION: BTTS
