Match Preview: PSG Face Caen in Last Ligue 1 Match of the Season

A frustrating Ligue 1 campaign comes to an end for Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday as they host Stade Malherbe Caen at the Parc des Princes.

Earlier in the week, AS Monaco defeated AS Saint-Etienne to clinch the league title and end the capital club’s reign at the summit of French football. Against Caen, Paris will look to flex their muscle and send a message heading into next season but that might be difficult with Patrice Garande’s men needing a result to avoid relegation.

On Saturday, we want to finish the season well. It’s our last home game, perhaps the last match for some at the Parc des Princes. A great performance would leave the very best of memories. We also want to give our fans a win. We have to remain professional, win and make all those who come the Parc happy.–Serge Aurier, PSG.fr

While Caen will be fighting for their lives on Saturday, PSG have literally nothing to play for besides entertaining the supporters and avoiding injury heading into the Coupe de France final against Angers SCO on May 27. The French cup is the last remaining trophy up for grabs this season and winning it will help to erase the memory of Monaco celebrating their league title.

Unai Emery will have plenty of attacking options to choose from but several defenders will miss the final home match of the season. Layvin Kurzawa and Thomas Meunier are out after season-ending surgeries as well as Thiago Silva who misses due to injury. Midfield maestro Marco Verratti is out due to injury and Grzegorz Krychowiak and Hatem Ben Arfa were left off the team sheet as usual. It will be a makeshift back line but with the likes of Javier Pastore, Edinson Cavani and Julian Draxler fit, I expect a similar performance to last September’s 6-0 win at the Stade Michel d’Ornano.

Starting XI Prediction

(4-3-3) Trapp; Aurier, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Maxwell; Matuidi, Lo Celso, Rabiot; Draxler, Cavani, Di Maria

I’m hoping to see Giovani Lo Celso in the starting lineup against Caen. The young Argentinian has performed well in his brief cameos this season and with nothing to play for, Emery should give him a chance to impress heading into next season.

It will be an emotional night with Maxwell in the starting lineup playing his final match in front of his home supporters. Let’s hope that for one more match he can turn back the clock and get a goal to his name. Speaking of goals, Edinson Cavani is one shy of equaling Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s record of 50 goals in all competitions and I expect him to break the record against Caen.

Score Prediction

PSG 5-1 Caen

The failure of the season likely hit the PSG players hard this week watching Monaco celebrate a title that should have been theirs. I expect a lively performance full of goals and excellent build-up play. Cavani will bag a hat trick with Draxler and Angel Di Maria chipping in with a goal a piece.

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Tags Adrien Rabiot Angel Di Maria Blaise Matuidi Caen Edinson Cavani Giovani Lo Celso Grzegorz Krychowiak Hatem Ben Arfa Javier Pastore Julian Draxler Kevin Trapp Layvin Kurzawa Ligue 1 Marco Verratti Marquinhos Maxwell Presnel Kimpembe Serge Aurier Thiago Silva Thomas Meunier Unai Emery
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