Life After Mbappe Begins for PSG
Le Havre vs PSG Odds: Ligue 1 Season Opener Preview
PSG Gunning for Fourth Straight Ligue 1 Title
Six time reigning Ligue 1 top scorer Kylian Mbappe left PSG this Summer to head to Real Madrid. Life after Mbappe for PSG begins on Friday, when they take on Le Havre in their Ligue 1 season opener. Despite Mbappe’s departure, Luis Enrique will expect a fourth straight Ligue 1 title from his squad.
Le Havre are just trying to remain in Ligue 1 after they were in the relegation picture in 2023-24. As both sides look to get their campaigns started off on the right foot, we’ll preview the Le Havre vs PSG odds.
Le Havre vs PSG
Date & Time: Friday, August 16th, 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France
Le Havre vs PSG Head-to-Head
When these teams last met, PSG had a chance to clinch the Ligue 1 title in front of their home fans. However, they could only muster a 3-3 draw against Le Havre in April. In the reverse fixture on the 2023-2024 Ligue 1 schedule, which was the first meeting since 2009, PSG won 2-0.
The Parisians are on a seven game unbeaten streak in this fixture dating back to 2000.
Le Havre Looking to Stay Afloat
2023-24 Season:
- Ligue 1: 7-11-6 (15th)
- Coupe de France: Round of 16, lost 3-1 to Strasbourg
Injuries/Absences:
D Loic Nego (Thigh), D Christopher Operi (Undisclosed), F Issa Soumare (Undisclosed)
Le Havre’s last preseason friendly before the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season did not exactly go according to plan. Sure, Loic Nego, Christopher Operi and Issa Soumare were out for various reasons but Le Havre still lost 6-0 at home to Bundesliga side VfL Bochum.
In any case, coach Didier Digard has a lot of work to do to keep Le Havre afloat this season. In 2023-24, they finished in 15th place in the Ligue 1 standings, only three points outside of the relegation zone under Luka Elsner. This is Digard’s first permanent senior managerial job but he was Nice’s caretaker manager for a few months in 2023.
Last season, Emmanuel Sabbi, Mohamed Bayo and Andre Ayew led Le Havre with five league one goals apiece. However, Bayo is back with Lille following a loan spell and Ayew has left the club as a free agent.
Only Nantes and Clermont scored fewer Ligue 1 goals than Le Havre last season and finding the net could once again be an issue. Plus, Le Havre’s form tailed off significantly toward the end of the season, with just two wins from their final 16 games.
They did, however, have the eighth-best defensive record in the league and keeping Etienne Youte Kinkoue through the Summer will be key.
PSG Enter Season as Ligue 1 Favorites
2023-24 Season:
- Ligue 1: 22-10-2 (1st)
- Champions League: 5-2-4, lost to Borussia Dortmund in Semifinals
- Coupe de France: Champions, defeated Lyon 2-1 in final
- Trophée des Champions: Champions, defeated Toulouse 2-0
Injuries/Absences:
D Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), D Lucas Hernandez (Knee), D Lucas Beraldo (Ankle)
Luis Enrique’s first season as Paris Saint-Germain’s coach was a successful one, as they completed a league/cup double. However, their ultimate goal is to win the Champions League, which has eluded them to this point.
Without Mbappe, other players will have to step up, namely Bradley Barcola, Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos. Still, plenty of France Ligue 1 predictions have the Parisians winning a fourth straight title, as they’re -400 outright favorites.
The Parisians were a dominant force in French soccer before Mbappe and they will continue to be. Their financial firepower is unmatched and they’ve already flexed their muscle this Summer. PSG brought in highly-rated 19-year old midfielder Joao Neves from Benfica for a fee in the region of €60 million.
PSG also signed former Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho late last week and he’ll add depth. Especially since Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe remain out and Lucas Beraldo got injured in the friendly against Sturm Graz last week.
Both that friendly and the one against RB Leipzig on Saturday finished in draws. Bettors should note PSG’s first two Ligue 1 matches in 2023-24 finished all square.
Le Havre vs PSG Match Analysis & Odds
Both teams will undoubtedly want to get off to good starts here but it’s not the end of the world if PSG don’t grab all three points. The Parisians are unbeaten in their last three Ligue 1 openers, though, and the Le Havre vs PSG odds price the visitors as -225 favorites.
At the same time, Le Havre are +550 underdogs and a draw is priced at +360. With potential defensive absences on both sides, this could end up being a shootout. Over 2.5 goals sit at -165 odds and both teams to score is at -125.
Meanwhile, the Le Havre vs PSG odds also list PSG -1 at -145 and Le Havre +1 at +115. Last season, Le Havre went 6-2-9 at home while scoring 18 goals and conceding 19. At the same time PSG averaged a league-best 2.29 goals per game on the road.
