Caen vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Key Issues That Will Shape Ligue 1 Game

Paris Saint-Germain travel west to Normandy on Wednesday night to take on SM Caen in what could be a tricky encounter for the Parisians at the Stade Michel d’Ornano.

The French champions have yet to pick up a victory away from home this season, and their hosts will be keen to put in a performance in what is actually their first game at their own ground this campaign.

After the 1-1 draw against Lyon on Sunday night, the pressure is on both Laurent Blanc and his players as they continue their sluggish start to the season. The side from the French capital are still unbeaten, but the performances have been far from convincing.

Caen were tipped to be one of the teams likely to drop back down to Ligue 2 after winning promotion, but their promising start suggests they will be far from walkovers—they are winless in their last four league matches, though.

Due to the World Equestrian Games, Caen had to play their opening two home games at the MMArena in Le Mans. With this being their first game back at their true home, Patrice Garande will be hoping the atmosphere can help Caen stage a shock result on Wednesday.

Here are some key issues that will shape this Wednesday’s clash between PSG and Caen.

The Battle for Midfield Supremacy

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Verratti will be key against Kante.

Last season Paris Saint-Germain put in some of the most impressive midfield performances in Europe. The trio of Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta were dominant against most sides, especially in Ligue 1.

This season, Blanc has made some tweaks, and the displays haven’t quite been at the same level. Matuidi’s participation at the World Cup has meant he has started slower than usual, and PSG look somewhat bogged down when Verratti and Motta have been playing together.

Javier Pastore started the season well and has earned a recall to the Argentinian national team, but with Zlatan Ibrahimovic occupying the positions that the No. 10 playmaker wants to take up, Pastore plays a somewhat deeper role than is natural to him, and he is not as good a defender as Matuidi and Yohan Cabaye.

On Wednesday night, they face a Caen midfield that has enough quality across the middle of the park that they could cause Blanc’s side some problems, even though it cost a mere fraction of the PSG side.

With Verratti suspended, Motta will likely start with Matuidi and Pastore on either side. That trio will have to deal with the powerful play of the very impressive N’golo Kante. The 23-year-old missed the 1-0 defeat to Saint-Etienne in Week 4 but returned on Saturday and provided an assist and an excellent performance in the 3-3 draw with Toulouse.

His performances have brought drive, energy and an attacking impetus to Caen’s play. Kante links the gap between Jordan Adeoti in the more defensive role and the creative influence of veteran Julien Feret.

Kante is an all-action midfielder, and so far this season he has scored twice to add to Saturday’s assist, per WhoScored.com. He has been one of the surprise players to emerge so far this season, and PSG will have to be very aware of his abilities on Wednesday night.

Motta will have to watch his runs from deep. If he can curtail his advances, it could go a long way in holding midfield supremacy.

Brazilians Offer a Tough Test for Mathieu Duhamel

Jacques Brinon/Associated Press

Marquinhos will have to beware of Duhamel.

Caen’s first-choice striker, Mathieu Duhamel, enjoyed a wonderful season in Ligue 2 last season as he fired his team into one of the promotion places. The striker scored 24 goals as Caen finished second. Ligue 1 has proved a tougher test for the 30-year-old, and it isn’t going to get much easier on Wednesday.

It looked like Duhamel had made the jump up from Ligue 2 like a duck to water, scoring twice on the opening day as Caen beat Evian 3-0. He showed the same predatory instincts that had made him so deadly in the second division, and it was clear just how important he would be to Caen’s season.

Then in Week 2 he picked up an injury against Lille, only making it past the start of the second half. He wouldn’t play again until the last half hour of the match away in Saint-Etienne in Week 5, and you can see from Caen’s results in that period how much they have missed his presence.

Duhamel was back in the starting lineup for the draw against Toulouse but is still looking to add to his goal tally. Now he faces his toughest test of the season, up against PSG’s impressive duo, David Luiz and Marquinhos.

It has been the younger of the two Brazilians who has impressed most this season—the performances of Marquinhos have been undeniably brilliant and have helped massively in the absence of Thiago Silva. He has been so good that the former Brazil captain hasn’t really been missed at all.

The battle between Duhamel and the Brazilian centre-backs will be a very intriguing watch.

The striker will have to use all his guile and intelligence to get even a sniff of a chance in front of goal, but the PSG defence have shown this season that if you stick at your task and never give up, you may just get a glimmer of an opportunity, the sort of chance that Duhamel usually puts in the back of the net.

Watch out for the Caen Comeback

Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Can Caen emulate Ajax on Wednesday?

One of PSG’s biggest problems at the moment is putting the game beyond their opponents once they take the lead.

Ajax, Rennes and Lyon all came back from one goal down before nearly going on to win, and it’s a situation that Caen are no stranger to this season.

Against Reims they used a late burst to turn a decent away point into a 2-0 away victory. On Saturday against Toulouse they took the lead three times in the 3-3 draw and will actually be disappointed not to have picked up all three points.

Full-back Jean Calve gave the away side the lead on the 86th minute, and although they will be upset to have conceded a late equaliser, you have to give credit to Garande’s side for picking themselves up again at 2-2 to score a third goal away from home.

It would have been so easy for the Normandy side to try to hold on for the draw, but they wanted all three points.

The Parisians need to be very aware of their opponent’s high fitness levels . If PSG are in anyway vulnerable in the second half, or take their foot off the gas like they have done previously, Caen are the ideal side to take full advantage and pile a huge amount of pressure on the side from the capital.

PSG will start as huge favourites for the victory, but there is enough about this Caen side that they could cause the champions one or two problems.