Looking to avoid their sixth shutout in seven Ligue 1 games, Le Havre coach Luka Elsner decided to introduce new striker André Ayew, who joined the club as a free agent in November, during the 65th minute against Nantes last weekend. The Ghanaian recruit was sent off just two minutes into his debut, and consequently the Sky-and-Navy had to settle for their fourth goalless draw in five matches (W1).
Despite their struggles in the final third, promoted Le Havre sat just three points off a European spot ahead of this matchday, but the tight nature of the standings means that they could be sucked down into the lower half of the table if they fail to upset the odds here against PSG. Distant history is firmly against them as expected, as they have lost five H2Hs that took place in the 2000s.
A relieved PSG will travel to the Stade Océane after a controversial 98th minute penalty goal from Kylian Mbappé salvaged them a 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw with Newcastle during the week, keeping them in control of their own destiny for qualification to the round of 16. Luis Enrique’s men encountered no such challenges in their previous Ligue 1 encounter, with their commanding 5-2 win against Monaco on Sunday further solidifying their position at the top of the table.
The Parisians should remain focused in their pursuit of a seventh consecutive league victory otherwise second-placed Nice, who were trailing by just one point at the start of the round, could capitalise on any potential December misstep. The visitors have been excelling in away games, with their most recent league loss on the road occurring back in February (W10, D3), despite collecting only three clean sheets in those 13 games.
Key battle: Having secured six clean sheets in 13 Ligue 1 appearances, Le Havre goalkeeper Arthur Desmas is on equal footing with PSG star goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. He will have to keep a close eye on PSG striker Gonçalo Ramos early on, as Ramos has found the net before half-time in all but three of his last 16 goalscoring appearances.
Hot stat: Le Havre conceded a league-low two goals after the hour mark, while PSG scored a league-high 11 goals during that period.
