A scrappy draw in their home opener has left massive French title favourites Paris St Germain already feeling the pressure and a trip to AC Ajaccio on Sunday is hardly the match they would have picked to ease the tension.
The Qatari-backed club have spent millions for a second successive close season but this time have brought in truly top names such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva as they try to run away with Ligue 1.
Their resources dwarf even their biggest rivals Marseille and Lyon but their supremacy was not apparent last weekend when they went 2-0 behind at home to modest Lorient only for an Ibrahimovic brace to spare their blushes.
In contrast Ajaccio, backed by their fervent Corsican fans, are on a high after winning 1-0 at Nice in their season opener having clambered to safety last term when relegation seemed almost a certainty.
PSG playmaker Javier Pastore, suspended against Lorient, is likely to return to the line-up on Sunday and is fully aware of what the huge investment at the club means in an otherwise lower profile European league.
"Nowadays we are obliged to win all our matches," the Argentine told the official club website.
"We didn't manage that in our first match but the start of a season is always the most difficult. We need to be calmer, play our game and go to Ajaccio to fight for the title from the start."
Centre--back Thiago Silva, bought from AC Milan along with Ibrahimovic, is set for his debut having turned out for Brazil's Olympic side last weekend.
Other standout games include 2009 champions Bordeaux, who won 3-2 at Evian in their first game, entertaining perennial European hopefuls Rennes on Sunday when Marseille take on Sochaux in Elie Baup's first home game in charge.
The 2010 champions, who endured a dreadful season last term which led to Didier Deschamps quitting for the France job, beat promoted Reims 1-0 on the first weekend.
Lyon are also at home to new boys Troyes on Saturday while champions Montpellier, who stunned PSG and most of European football by taking the title last term, visit Lorient.
Lille, champions two seasons ago and still getting used to life without new Chelsea winger Eden Hazard, welcome Nancy on Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment