Nantes vs PSG Prediction for 18 August 2025 - Football

🔊 Will the reigning French champions overcome Nantes in the opening round of Ligue 1? Antoine Kombouaré's squad faces a tough challenge as they kick off the season against the formidable Paris Saint-Germain. Let's delve deeper into this matchup and make a prediction on the outcome. 

Head-to-Head

📊 The rivals frequently face each other in the national championship and cups. In four of their last five head-to-head encounters, both teams found the net, making the "both teams to score" bet successful.

Nantes Team Overview

🟡 Last season, Nantes narrowly avoided relegation to the second division, finishing just 3 points clear of the "red zone." With no significant signings this year and the departure of local star Nathan Zeze, expectations for Nantes are understandably low.

⚫ Nantes began their preparations for the new season in the middle of last month, playing five friendly matches but securing victory in only one—against modest club Laval (2-0). As they head into the match against PSG, Antoine Kombouaré's squad is on a four-game losing streak. In these matches, they scored only 5 goals while conceding 9. In their most recent game, Nantes fell to Paris FC (2-3).

Paris Saint-Germain Team Overview

🔵 Last season was remarkable for the Parisians, as the team clinched almost every possible title. Notably, they secured the Ligue 1 championship with a 19-point lead over their rivals, triumphed in the Champions League, and lifted the Coupe de France.

🔴 During the offseason, Luis Enrique's squad traveled to the United States for the Club World Cup, reaching the final but falling to London's Chelsea (0-3). Back in Europe, PSG faced Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup. In that encounter, the Parisians were trailing (0-2) but managed to turn the game around and won in a penalty shootout.

Latest news

Nantes

📄 During the offseason, Nantes placed their bets on two Korean midfielders who are expected to become the backbone of the team's central play. Hyun Seok Hong returned from his loan spell at Mainz, and Kwon Hyuk Kyu was acquired from Celtic for €250,000.

❌ Mathis Akapandje and Maikel Lahdo will be unavailable to assist Nantes in their match against PSG, as they are sidelined with injuries.

Paris Saint-Germain

📄 Ahead of the new season, PSG have acquired two key players who are soon expected to feature in the starting lineup. Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier has joined from Lille for €40 million, while defender Illya Zabarnyi has arrived from Bournemouth for €63 million.

❌ Nordi Mukiele will miss the match against Nantes due to injury. There is uncertainty over the availability of Bradley Barcola and Senny Mayulu as they are still on the road to full recovery.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The upcoming match will be officiated by Benoit Bastien. Over a span of 100 matches, he averages 3.91 yellow cards per game with 24 fouls. In their last 10 matches, Nantes average 2.1 yellow cards, while PSG average 1.1. Given that Paris are expected to dominate possession and attack more, Nantes players are more likely to receive cautions. We suggest betting on the home team to win the yellow card count.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

In five of their last six matches, PSG have scored two or more goals. The Parisian side are currently playing with high efficiency and an attacking mindset. We recommend considering a bet on Paris Saint-Germain's total over 1.5 goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Analyzing the last 10 matches, the corner stats show that the home team averages 3.5 corners, while the visitors average 6.7. A handicap bet of (-1.5) on Paris Saint-Germain has been successful in 7 out of 10 games. Considering PSG's current form, we suggest betting on PSG's corner handicap (-1.5).

Nantes are currently going through a rough patch, as evidenced by their four-game losing streak. Meanwhile, Paris have had an excellent preseason, recently clinching the Super Cup against Tottenham. What could boost the team's morale even more? A strong start in the domestic league would certainly do the trick. We believe Nantes stand little chance in the upcoming match and predict they will lose 1-3. Our bet for this game is PSG with a -1.5 handicap.