PSG seek seventh straight Ligue 1 win as Troyes visit Parc des Princes

Paris Saint-Germain host Troyes on Saturday aiming for a seventh consecutive Ligue 1 victory and an 11th win in a row in all competitions.

The European champions have not dropped points for two months and Luis Enrique’s side are strong favourites against an ESTAC team that has won only one of its past seven matches.

PSG’s current run is even more impressive given their slow start. They lost 2-1 at home to Monaco in early September, leaving them with only two points from their opening three league games.

Since then, they have beaten Brest 1-0, before adding victories over Marseille, Le Mans, Strasbourg, Lyon and Le Havre to move top of Ligue 1. Lille remain two points behind, while Lyon and Paris FC are three points adrift, although a change at the summit appears unlikely.

Troyes are 16th, with only one point separating them from Le Mans in the relegation places. Stephane Dumont’s side ended an exactly two-month wait for a win last weekend, when goals from Mouhamed Diop and Ismael Boura secured an important victory.

That result gave ESTAC four points from their past two matches and two successive clean sheets. However, the challenge at Parc des Princes is considerably greater. A sixth league defeat of the campaign could send Troyes back into the bottom two, although that would also require Le Mans to beat Monaco.

PSG have avoided defeat in their past 10 meetings with Troyes, winning nine of them. Le Mans, meanwhile, are seeking to end an eight-match winless run against Monaco.

Team news and predictions

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia remains sidelined long term with a knee problem. Nuno Mendes (muscle), Marquinhos (thigh) and Ousmane Dembele (thigh) are also unavailable for the hosts.

Ferran Torres is PSG’s leading Ligue 1 scorer but has gone seven matches without finding the net, including four league games. The champions showed their attacking depth in midweek by beating Villarreal 6-0. Fabian Ruiz scored twice, while Desire Doue and Senny Mayulu also scored. Maghnes Akliouche provided two assists and Joao Neves contributed a goal and an assist.

Troyes have had seven different scorers this season: Antoine Mille, Mouhamed Diop, Timothe Nkada, Lucas Maronnier, Jeremy Le Douaron, Ismael Boura and Renaud Ripart.

Yacouba Kone will miss out with a knee injury, while Anis Ouzenadji is nearing a return but remains doubtful.

The predicted line-ups are:

Paris Saint-Germain: Safonov; Zaire-Emery, Zabarnyi, Pacho, Digne; Neves, Beraldo, Ruiz; Akliouche, Torres, Godts.

Troyes: Konate; Maronnier, Monfray, Diaz Jr, Iweru; Mille, Karim, Diop; Ifnaoui, Ripart, Nkada.

The recommended bets are Paris Saint-Germain to win both halves at 1.69, Senny Mayulu to score or assist at 1.95, and Paris to score a penalty at 3.70.

PSG’s six-goal display against Villarreal suggests they have enough match-winners to cope with their absences and extend their winning run at home.

Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 form: VVVVVV Paris Saint-Germain all-competitions form: VVVVVV Troyes Ligue 1 form: DDDDNV