This Sunday, January 4th, the French press (focusing on the sporting aspect) concentrated on Paris Saint-Germain’s upcoming Parisian derby against Paris FC at the Parc des Princes this evening for Matchday 17 of Ligue 1 (kick-off at 8:45 PM, CET).
Le Parisien –
L’Equipe –
This is a crucial match for PSG. Not only is there a special opponent, whose Stade Jean Bouin is located just 50 meters from the Parc des Princes, but there’s also the added pressure from Lens, who secured a 3-0 victory against Toulouse on Friday. Lens have provisionally taken a four-point lead at the top of the league, and PSG cannot afford to fall further behind.
The good news for coach Luis Enrique and his players is that they had the winter break to recharge and prepare. Like all other Ligue 1 teams, except that it was particularly necessary for PSG after a hectic 2025 and no preseason training. We now hope to see a gradual improvement over the course of this busy and pivotal month.
This will also be a somewhat unusual match for Lucas Chevalier, the 24-year-old goalkeeper. He had a mixed start to the season, and his competitor, Matvey Safonov (26), took full advantage of his absence in December to impress. He hasn’t been sidelined, but he knows he would be wise to show more solidity. It’s time for him to take the next step in his adaptation, especially since the Russian is now also sidelined for a while.
