Ligue 1 preview and tips: Paris Saint-Germain to prove their class at rockbottom Angers

Sergiu Baltuta
21 April 2023

Top meets bottom in Ligue 1 on Friday as champions elect PSG visit struggling Angers, and football pundit Sergiu Baltuta (who runs SVB Tips on Tipstrr) believes the gulf in class will be plain to see.

Defeat for Angers coupled with unfavourable results elsewhere could see them relegated by the end of the weekend - with six games remaining, that would be the earliest relegation from Ligue 1 since Troyes in 2015/2016.

The signs do not look good as PSG are undefeated in the last 28 games against Angers (21 wins and seven draws), which is their longest undefeated streak against a single opponent.

They have also won their last 15 games against Angers, their longest winning streak since stringing together 17 straight victories against Nantes between 2007 and 2019.

In truth, Angers have seemed condemned to relegation since before the World Cup as they picked up only eight points in the 15 rounds played before the tournament in Qatar.

Since then they have managed to accrue just six more points, four of which came in the last three rounds with a home draw against Nice followed by a rare 1-0 win against Lille, also at home.

It was their first taste of victory since January's Coupe de France win against Strasbourg Koenigshoffen, a team from the sixth French tier, and their first win in Ligue 1 since beating Nice back in September.

Suggested bet: PSG -2.5 Asian Handicap

Sergiu Baltuta provides football tips as SVB Tips on Tipstrr

PSG have experienced an unsettled time over the last two months, having been eliminated from the French Cup by Marseille in Le Classique, and also exited the Champions League after two defeats against Bayern Munich.

Additional Ligue 1 defeats at the hands of Monaco, Rennes and Lyon also put a temporary dent in their title charge before recent back-to-back successes against Nice and Lens steadied the boat to reaffirm their control at the top of the table.

PSG should be able to enjoy a relatively serene run-in that sees them play seven teams from the lower half of the table, especially as they have no further cup distractions.

PSG's star-studded line-up will be hoping to finish the season on a high, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe (20 goals and four assists) and Lionel Messi (15 goals and 14 assists) no doubt seeing this game as a perfect opportunity to add to their respective tallies.

Suggested bet: Lionel Messi to score and provide an assist