This Wednesday, April 22nd, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) faces Nantes (17th) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 7 pm, CET) in a rescheduled match from Matchday 26 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. And as before every match, here is a preview of PSG’s opponent.
Nantes’ situation –
A major club in the history of French football, FC Nantes has been struggling for several years. They have even come close to relegation to Ligue 2 on several occasions, and the coaching staff has undergone numerous changes. Not to mention the very difficult transfer windows (including sanctions).
This season has been no exception, if anything, it has been even tougher than previous ones. Last March, Vahid Halilhodzic took over from Ahmed Kantari, who had himself replaced Luis Castro, as manager. While there have been some successes, there are concerns for Nantes that it won’t be enough. The coach is also suspended for this match after receiving a red card this past weekend.
Summer Transfer Window 2025 –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
Winter Transfer Window 2025/2026 –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key Statistics –
This season, Nantes has one of the 16th best attacks in Ligue 1 with 25 goals scored (the best, PSG, has 62, and the bottom two, Nantes, Auxerre, and Le Havre, have 25), and the 15th best defense with 46 goals conceded (PSG has the best defense with 25 goals conceded, the bottom two, Metz, has 66).
Nantes’ top scorer is Mathis Abline (25-year-old attacking midfielder/forward), who, with 5 goals, is 38th in the league (Esteban Lepaul is the Ligue 1 leader with 17 goals). Chidozie Awaziem (29-year-old defender) is the club’s top assist provider with 2 assists and is 101st in Ligue 1 (Adrien Thomasson is first with 9 assists).
Nantes’ last 5 matches –
Only Nantes’ possession is shown, and Nantes’ shots are listed first (when data is available).
07/03/2026 (Ligue 1) – Nantes/Angers: 0-1. Playing in a 5-3-2 formation. 47% possession. 13 shots, 2 on target, compared to 11 shots (4 on target) for Angers.
March 22, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Nantes/Strasbourg: 2-3. 5-3-2 formation. 38% possession. 14 shots, 9 on target, compared to 14 shots (8 on target) for Nantes.
April 5, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Metz/Nantes (down to 10 men in the 39th minute): 0-0. 5-3-2 formation. 34% possession. 5 shots, 2 on target, compared to 18 shots (6 on target) for Nantes.
April 11, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Auxerre/Nantes: 0-0. 4-1-4-1 formation. 46% possession. 12 shots, 4 on target, vs. 4 shots (0 on target).
April 19, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Nantes (down to 10 men in the 65th minute, 1-0) / Brest: 1-1. 4-1-4-1 formation. 44% possession. 17 shots, 4 on target, vs. 4 shots (2 on target).
The Squad:
Out : Mirbach, Amian, Centonze, Kaba, Cabella, Coquelin, Tati (injury).
The probable starting lineup in a 4-1-4-1 formation.
Mohamed
Ganago – Leroux – Lepenant – Tabibou
Sissoko
Machado – Cozza – Yousuf – Guilbert
Lopes
Nantes’ playing style.
Nantes has changed several times this season, marked by the fight for survival in Ligue 1. Quite logically, there has been a desire to focus on a solid system. But, for the last two matches, we’ve also seen a slightly more attacking approach, which has had the merit of producing more interesting performances. Unfortunately, without the wins.
It remains to be seen whether Nantes will continue down this path against PSG, given the obvious risk. A very defensive approach, with a focus on quick counter-attacks, is more likely. This could also involve some squad rotation in this midweek match before the derby against Rennes.
