Lorient vs Paris Saint-Germain: It will be harder without Mbappe

Last season, Lorient sensationally defeated PSG at home. Now, the Merlucciidaes are going into the match as one of the Ligue 1 underdogs, and it will be very difficult to cope with the Parisians. Will the hosts be able to create another sensation?

Lorient has lost seven games in a row in Ligue 1, and their last win was on 22 September this year. They are now in penultimate place in the table, ahead of Saint-Etienne. Lorient is the worst team in the French league in terms of xG (expected goals), and there are plenty of problems in defense. Five of their 14 goals were scored from set-pieces and another two from penalties. Thus, the problems with positional attacking are evident. Veterans Fabien Lemoine and Jeremie Morel remain in the Lorient sideline.

The previous day, Christophe Pelissier's side dropped out of the French Cup, losing away to Rennes with a score of 0:1. It was the opponents who took the initiative. However, Lorient frayed the nerves of the Bretons in the 2nd half and created a number of good chances. The last round of Ligue 1 was a disaster. The Merlucciidaes conceded 4 goals after 4 attempts on the gate and lost to the Mets with a score of 1:4. Moritz Gentz lost a good opportunity in the first half, but after the break, he scored.

PSG is ahead of their nearest pursuer in the French championship by 13 points, and only a prolonged black streak can prevent them from winning the title. At the same time, the Parisians have reached the Champions League play-offs without too much trouble, and in the French Cup, things have been easy so far. In the 1/32 finals, the capital club easily defeated Feny-Aulnoy with a score of 3:0 on the road. Both Icardi and Mbappe scored in the 1st half on penalties. Mbappe eventually scored a double. Sergio Ramos finally returned from injury, but Neymar, Nuno Mendes, and Julian Draxler are still out. Killian Mbappe and Marco Verratti will not play due to yellow cards.

Mauricio Pochettino's team has won three straight in all competitions. Last time they took on Monaco 2:0 at home in Ligue 1. PSG nearly conceded in the opening minute, but they did not make the same mistakes. Mbappe scored another double and Messi came close to scoring in the closing stages but the goal post saved them.

Lorient is still one of the weakest clubs in Ligue 1, but there were some moments in the cup game. The Merlucciidaes defended well against the 3rd team in the league, and they are capable of improving at home. PSG didn't have the most difficult match 3 days ago, but losses in the team shouldn't go unnoticed. Certainly, the squad allows the Parisians to compensate for Neymar's absence, but Mbappe has been scoring far more often than his teammates. We suggest betting on the following outcomes:

• Total Under 3.5 for 1.50
• PSG Win to Nil for 2.43
• W2 + Total Under 3.5 for 2.31