Preview
The wait is finally over! Club football makes its return in France with the annual Trophée des Champions set to be held this Sunday. This fixture will see PSG lock horns with Nantes in the 2022/23 curtain raiser as the French champions prepare to embark on their title defense.
This will be the first game for the Paris heavyweights after the disappointing end to their 2021/22 campaign. Yes, Mbappe and Co. got their hands on the French top-flight title, wrestling the crown back from bitter rivals Lille. However, after missing out on the UEFA Champions League and Coupe de France as well, fans were left with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Since the final game of last season, a lot has changed, the most significant being the departure of Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine was relieved of his Parc des Princes duties, with highly-regarded French manager Christophe Galtier being appointed as his replacement.
After guiding Lille to the league title in 2020/21 and leading Nice to a top-five finish last term, the 55-year-old tactician will be tasked with pulling off what no other has managed before: winning the UEFA Champions League crown in Paris. Fortunately, superstar attacker Kylian Mbappe, who ran out his contract over the summer, opted to remain in the French capital and signed a new deal instead of joining Real Madrid for free, which is a huge boost for Les Parisiens and their ambitions.
The club enjoyed a lovely pre-season tour of Japan, beating the likes of Kawasaki Frontale, Urawa Red Diamonds and Gamba Osaka to get up to speed. Neymar and Presnel Kimpembe, two players linked with moves away from PSG, featured in the tour and impressed while Lionel Messi, who endured a below par debut campaign for the club last season, is slowly working his way back.
Mbappe and Co. kick off the new Ligue 1 season on Saturday with a trip to Clermont and there is no better way to prepare for that showdown than beating Nantes in the Trophée des Champions, but will the French giants get their hands on the French Super Cup?
Nantes are the reigning Coupe de France champions and are thus not to be taken lightly. What is interesting is the team Antoine Kombouare's side beat to get their hands on the trophy. It was none other than Nice, who were led by current PSG boss Christophe Galtier.
La Maison Jaune overcame Monaco in the semifinals before facing off against Nice in the final, with a Ludovic Blas penalty settling this tie. Nantes are now close to breaking their long wait for the Trophée des Champions title, having last won this competition back in 2001. Victory over the Ligue 1 champions will be required and that's no easy feat for any club.
However, it should be noted that the Beaujoire Stadium side did beat Les Parisiens last term, securing an impressive 3-1 victory over Mbappe and Co. in February. Their earlier encounter ended in a 3-1 defeat, meaning we could be in for an interesting clash.
Team news
PSG: Kylian Mbappe is suspended for this tie, meaning PSG's star man will not be available. Additionally, summer signing Hugo Ekitike wasn't included in the squad, meaning Neymar and Lionel Messi could be joined by Mauro Icardi in the attack. Mukiele is available but is unlikely to displace Hakimi while the club's other summer acquisition Vitinha is likely to start in midfield alongside Verratti as the French giants are focused on getting rid of Idrissa Gueye, Georginio Wijnaldum and Leandro Paredes.
Nantes: Charles Traore remains sidelined after rupturing his ACL. Mostafa Mohamed and Evann Guessan will be hoping to make their debuts while Alban Lafont will look to maintain his brilliant form in goal.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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