Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers
Paris Saint-Germain are going head-to-head with Angers on matchday 18 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. Currently, Paris Saint-Germain ranks first, while Angers holds the 20th position in the Ligue 1 standings. PSG have scored a mammoth 46 goals this season and have conceded merely 13 goals.
Angers’ form is very poor overall, with two wins, two draws, and 13 losses. This performance currently places Angers 20th out of 20 teams in the Ligue 1 table, winning only 13% of matches. Angers has scored a total of 16 goals this season in Ligue 1. Angers has conceded a total of 37 goals this season in Ligue 1. It will be a difficult second half of Ligue 1 for the club and based on their current situation, they may be fighting to stay in the top tier till the last matchday.
Below are some stats for both teams for their current season.

Overall performances so far

Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers

The above viz shows the percentile rank of the team in comparison to other teams in Ligue 1. It can be observed that PSG are the top-ranked team in the division. They have outstanding numbers in all departments. The two areas where they are ranked lowest in the league are recoveries and crosses per 90, which are at 73.94 and 9.82, respectively.

Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers

The above viz shows the percentile rank of the team in comparison to other teams in Ligue 1. It can be observed that Angers are the lowest-ranked team in the division. They are struggling in attack with barely anything to show for it. In terms of defence, Angers are somewhat successful in putting high pressure on opponents. In the possession department, they are again struggling to maintain possession and only have accurate passes to count as compared to other teams. The team makes 401.12 passes per 90, puts in 4.29 crosses per 90, and makes 74.41 recoveries per match.

PSG in front of the goal

Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers

Paris Saint-Germain are currently in first place in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1, with 44 points from 17 matches played. They have won 14 matches, drawn two, and lost one match. They have scored 46 goals (37.3 expected goals (xG)) and conceded 13 goals (15.9 expected goals against (xGA)). The top scorer for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1 is Kylian Mbappe with 13 goals (9.67 xG). The team takes 15.29 shots per 90 with an accuracy rate of 48.9%.

Angers’ attacking form

Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers

Angers are currently in 20th place in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1, with eight points from 15 matches played. They have won two matches, drawn two, and lost 11. They have scored 15 goals (18.6 expected goals (xG)) and conceded 34 goals (25.4 expected goals against (xGA)). In the above viz., it can be seen that they have made many attempts at goal from the six-yard box. They also have shots on target from well outside the box. On average, they attempt 10.19 shots with 36% accuracy.

Defensive doings

Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers
Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers

PSG wins 54% of defensive duels contested and makes 33.29 interceptions per 90 minutes. The club from Paris have a goals-conceded ratio of 0.71, and their opponents have faced a high of 2.71 per match. On the other hand, Angers’ defence has been a disaster this season, having conceded 34 goals already this season. They make only 26.9 interceptions per 90 and 10.3 blocks per 90. Angers wins 56% of the defensive duels contested per 90. They make 1.63 tackles per 90 in the final third and average 47.49% possession in the current season. They have made three fouls inside the box and average 12.31 fouls.

Key players

Ligue 1 Preview: PSG vs Angers

Kylian Mbappe will be looking to add more goals to his ever-increasing tally. This season, he has scored 11 goals from 66 shots and has an xG of 0.12 per shot. He has scored a variety of goals, and most of them have come from inside the box or near the six-yard area. He will be one of many whom the Angers’ backline will be terrified of and will be looking to contain at any cost.

Team news

PSG attacker Neymar can potentially return to playing after his sending-off against Strasbourg. Lionel Messi will likely be in the squad for PSG’s kickoff. Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes, although Renato Sanches could also make it to the starting 11.

Angers are expected to be without Azzedine Ounahi and Sofiane Boufal as both seek a route out of the club during the transfer window, which reduces the hosts’ options in midfield and upfront. In addition, Nabil Bentaleb is sidelined by a back injury, and goalkeeper Yahia Fofana missed the loss to Ajaccio with a knee problem.

Overall, PSG are no doubt the favourites to win this match and might end up doing so by a huge margin. It may well be the last season for Angers in the top flight, and a win at the Parc des Princes will undoubtedly be the biggest victory in their football history.

Visuals via TFA data viz engine