Paris Saint-Germain return to domestic matters with a home encounter against Nantes in Ligue 1 on Saturday after yet another disappointing midweek in Europe.
The French champions remain outside the Champions League top 24 following a fourth straight game without a win in the league phase, losing 1-0 at Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Match preview
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The crisis surrounding PSG continued on Wednesday, and pressure mounted further on manager Luis Enrique, as he suffered yet another Champions League defeat in Bavaria.
With just four points from five games, the Parisians are in grave danger of embarrassingly missing out on the knockout stage, partly due to the fact that only three clubs have scored fewer than PSG in the league phase despite their expensively-assembled frontline - Sturm Graz, Bologna and Young Boys.
PSG have no trouble finding the net domestically though, as another routine 3-0 win over Toulouse last weekend kept them six points clear of Monaco at the Ligue 1 summit.
Enrique's men have collected 32 points from a possible 36 so far this season - the sixth time PSG have done so in Ligue 1 history - and what makes that stat even more remarkable is that only three other clubs have managed it - all once.
Ultimately though, league form and this upcoming encounter against Nantes will not matter to the hierarchy, who remain focused solely on European success.
The majority of the focus will be on their must-win trip to Red Bull Salzburg in two weeks, which would calm the pressure slightly, but they then have to face Manchester City on matchday seven.
A win with little fuss will be the wish this weekend then, and that looks more than likely given PSG's record against Nantes.
PSG have won 22 of the last 25 meetings between the sides, and another win here will put Nantes above Marseille as the team they have enjoyed the most Ligue 1 wins against (currently 27).
The hosts are also currently on a run of scoring in 26 straight league matches against Nantes - the longest run they have ever enjoyed against a single opponent - with the Canaries' last clean sheet in this fixture coming all the way back in 2006.
That gives Nantes next-to-no chance on paper, and their recent form only further extends their odds of taking anything here.
![Antoine Kombouare, coach of FC Nantes during his side's match against Montpellier on April 26, 2024 [on August 9, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/antoine-kombouare.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Antoine Kombouare, coach of FC Nantes during his side's match against Montpellier on April 26, 2024 [on August 9, 2024]")
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PSG are the worst possible opponents for a club in complete crisis on the pitch, plummeting down the table after a promising start.
Before last weekend, Le Havre had lost seven in eight, with the only outlier being a win against bottom-placed Montpellier at home, but they showed up to the Stade de la Beaujoire and left with a 2-0 win.
Despite having 71% possession, Nantes still amassed a lower xG, suggesting Antoine Kombouare's style of play is simply not working.
However, despite now being on a nine-game winless streak, taking just three points in that time, Nantes are not prepared to pull the plug just yet, but they could be forced to if the Canaries edge closer to breaking unwanted records.
Another defeat here would see them lose five in a row in Ligue 1 for the first time since 2004, and would leave them just one away from matching their worst-ever top flight run of six straight losses.
Team News
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PSG remain without long-term absentees Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe, while youngster Senny Mayulu has also joined them on the sidelines with a calf injury.
Big-money signing Goncalo Ramos returned to the squad in midweek after missing most of the season so far with an ankle injury, and should be the man to solve their attacking issues, with Enrique choosing not to play with a striker over the past few weeks.
Fellow Portuguese international Nuno Mendes also returned from an ankle issue against Bayern and played 90 minutes, while Marquinhos will be available domestically again after serving a one-game ban last week.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to return in goal after Enrique's decision to hand Matvey Safonov a start in Europe backfired, when the Russian gifted Bayern their opening goal.
Nantes will be able to call upon veteran defender Nicolas Pallois again after suspension, but the visitors will be without Tino Kadewere, and Marcus Coco is a doubt with illness.
Fabien Centonze made a long-awaited return from injury last weekend, but made the worst possible comeback off the bench, scoring the own goal that put the game beyond them in the 2-0 loss to Le Havre.
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Skriniar, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Joao Neves; Dembele, Asensio, Barcola; Goncalo Ramos
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Centonze, Castelletto, Pallois, Duverne, Cozza; Abline, Pedro Chirivella, Douglas Augusto, Simon; Mohamed
We say: Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Nantes
Despite continental troubles, PSG remain near-perfect in Ligue 1 and should have no problem collecting another three points, doing so with a fourth home clean sheet in seven games at the Parc des Princes so far - the same tally they managed in the whole of last season.
Nantes have been absolutely woeful of late, and on paper there are not many bigger mismatches on paper in Europe's top leagues this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
