Saint Etienne vs PSG Prediction & Betting Tips - Ligue 1

Prediction published on 03/01/2021, 13:25  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 03/01/2021 at 14:25 in Ligue 1 Prediction

Mauricio Pochettini begins life as the manager of PSG with an away game at St Etienne. His new team are third in the table with their opponents only four places above the relegation zone. St Etienne are in 14th place and on an unbeaten run of six league matches. That's taken them six points clear of the bottom three and ten behind the final Europa League qualification position. Their season began well with three straight wins but since then, they have only earned nine points from the next 14. They may be on an unbeaten run but five of those six games have been drawn. St Etienne have just one win in their last 14 league games, a 2-1 win at Bordeaux. That's not as great a win as it sounds as 13th place Bordeaux (four points ahead of St Etienne) have lost three of their last four league matches. Home form for St Etienne has seen them win just two out of eight, with no wins in the last six.

PSG enter the new year in the unfamillar position of not having a big lead at the top of the table. They are third and a point behind leaders Lyon and second placed Lille, so perhaps we might have a close battle at the top for a change. PSG may be third but they have the best defence in Ligue 1 and are the top goalscorers. They have lost four league games though, one more than they lost when winning the title last season. Only one of their last six league games has been lost, a home defeat to Lyon. Recent games have seen them keep three straight clean sheets (and they still sack their manager!) and they have done that in five of their last seven away league fixtures. PSG have one defeat in their last seven away league matches and have scored at least twice in six of those fixtures. Five of their last six away games at St Etienne have been won, another win looks likely here to herald in the Pochettini era.