Pundits are predicting another runaway season for Paris Saint Germain in France’s Ligue 1 for the fifth time in a row. Monaco, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and a few others will fight for the crumbs left by Les Parisiens, espnfc.com predicts.
The departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to have little overall impact on the firm favourites. And they might be more multi-dimensional with new manager Unai Emery. Make no mistake: PSG are ready for another year of dominance domestically. However, once again, their season will be defined by their European campaign.
Meanwhile, Radamel Falcao is back in Monaco and until his thigh injury at last week’s home match against Fenerbahçe – after which head coach Leonardo Jardim hailed him as “one of the best strikers in the world” – had been doing well. “Goals, assists, sharpness, hunger and motivation: the “Tiger” seems to be back … Falcao will be back to his best sooner or later,” espnfc.com says.
Paris St Germain begin a less glamorous chapter of their Qatari-owned era following the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but they could be more even more lethal as a collective unit in their bid for a fifth successive Ligue 1 title. Reuters points out that PSG won both the League and both French Cups in the last two seasons but disappointed in the Champions League, to go past the last eight.
AS Monaco plays En Avant de Guingamp Friday Aug 12 and Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, August 28.