Ligue 1: Reims Welcomes the Great Lionel Messi

Reims vs Paris Saint-Germain

France awaits, and the rest of Europe casts an eye on Ligue 1 as the debut of PSG’s marquee signing Lionel Messi draws ever closer.

In fact, it will almost certainly be on Sunday at the Stade Auguste Delaune in Reims where Paris Saint-Germain will set out to maintain their perfect start to the new campaign.

In the heart of France’s famous champagne region, the citizens of Reims are never slow to pop a cork but they will have seen no greater sight on a football pitch if Messi takes his bow.

After the shock triumph of Lille in the 2020/21 campaign, the latest Ligue 1 2021 betting odds expect Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG to reclaim the French crown and the recruitment of Messi from Barcelona is a statement of phenomenal intent.

Talking Points

PSG’s All–Stars can conquer all

Three wins from three have planted Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1 two points clear of Angers, Nice, and Clermont all on seven points. And with Lille, Lyon, Marseille,and Monaco all dropping points, there is an air of inevitability about the season.

What madness is this to hand the title to PSG already? Fair enough, there is still virtually a full campaign to go, with twists and turns and some fine players elsewhere in Ligue 1.

Ligue 1: Angel di Maria wraps up the three points for PSG vs Brest — Paris St Germain’s Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring against Brest

But the team Mauricio Pochettino is assembling can surely take on Europe as well as France. PSG have followed up a 2-1 win over Troyes with two 4-2 victories against Strasbourg and Brest and they have picked up those nine points without Messi or Brazilian ace Neymar.

Kylian Mbappe has scored two and made three assists in those three games, but there remains some speculation around whether he’ll remain a Paris player for much longer.

In a team of Galacticos, the French striker no longer stands out and Real Madrid have made an eye-watering bid of 160-M Euros to take him to the Santiago Bernabeu.

At this time of writing, PSG are yet to respond and Pochettino hopes that the signing of Messi might encourage the Bleus’ top striker to stay in Paris.

Even before Messi arrived, PSG had enjoyed a spectacular transfer window by bringing in Italy’s Euro 2020 goalkeeping hero Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Gini Wijnaldum, and Real Madrid’s best-ever defender Sergio Ramos.

It reads like a “who’s who” of European football. And add in the likes of Angel Di Maria –who scored last week when PSG beat Brest 4-2 — and German ace Julian Draxler, then you have to wonder what Reims can do to stop them.

Reims are unbeaten so far

Reims are yet to win after playing out three draws so far. A goalless draw against Nice was a fine start for them and they followed that up with a six-goal thriller against Montpellier before drawing 1-1 with Metz.

Les Rouges et Blancs had a good first half of the 2020/21 season before their form tailed off and they finished in 14^th place and manager David Guion made way for new head coach Oscar Garcia.

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Last season’s top scorer Boulaye Dia has packed his bags for La Liga where he has joined Villarreal, leaving a void out front.

Garcia will also be without injured trio Fraser Hornby, Arber Zeneli, and striker Anastasios Donis, but midfield man Moreto Cassama has weighed in with two goals and he is a man to watch.

History

The Parisiens have dominated French football for a decade but Reims too had their day, winning six Ligue 1 titles with the last in 1962. And after a fine season in 2020, they played in last season’s Europa League qualifying rounds.

PSG have had the better of the head-to-heads with nine victories to Reims’ three and there have been two draws in all meetings since 2012.

Last season, the Parisiens won 2-0 in Reims and then 4-0 at the Parc des Princes in the penultimate match of the campaign as both Neymar and Mbappe were on target. That win kept Pochettino’s side in the title race but they eventually succumbed to Lille.

The hosts have started this campaign unbeaten, but Reims are without a win in 13 and haven’t won on home ground in 11.

Betting Tip

	Reims vs Paris Saint Germain	Paris Saint-Germain Asian Handicap -2.50 @ 2.58
	August 30, 02:45 (GMT+8)

At SBOTOP odds of 11.86 to win, the hosts are a long shot indeed and even the draw at odds of 6.76 isn’t appealing. A 3-0 win to Paris at odds of 6.56 and over 3.50 goals at 1.96 both make more sense.

The game is set up for Lionel Messi to open his account for PSG. And with such an array of talent around him, if and when he crosses the white line, the magic will begin.

Has there ever been any bigger Ligue 1 2021 news in the history of sport? The eyes of the world will be on Reims this weekend for sure.