Exciting Strasbourg youngsters face PSG test in Ligue 1

PARIS (AP) — Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain hosts third-placed Strasbourg on Friday with just one point separating them.

While PSG’s position at the top is no surprise, Strasbourg — owned by Chelsea’s parent company BlueCo since 2023 — is exceeding expectations.

The team features homegrown talents and has been flourishing since English coach Liam Rosenior took over. This season, Strasbourg became the first team in the history of the five major European domestic leagues to field 11 starters born in 2000 or later, according to Ligue 1 statistics.

The faith in youth is bringing dividends. With 14 goals in seven matches — the third best attack in the league — and the competition’s top scorer, Argentine forward Joaquin Panichelli, Strasbourg travels to the Parc des Princes full of confidence after routing Angers 5-0 before the international break.

Key matchups

Behind PSG, Marseille and Lyon are level on points with Strasbourg. Combining defensive stability and attacking efficiency, Marseille will chase a sixth win against Le Havre on Saturday.

Lyon looks to bounce back at Nice following a home loss against Toulouse.

Monaco’s new manager Sébastien Pocognoli gets his first taste of Ligue 1 at Angers. Monaco is fifth, three points behind PSG.

Players to watch

After struggling to live up to the early hype of becoming the next Lionel Messi at Barcelona, Ansu Fati has found a new lease on life at Monaco.

Fati joined the Principality side this summer on a seasonlong loan in a bid to revive his injury-hit career and, so far, it’s paying off.

Fati scored twice from the penalty spot in a 2-2 draw against Nice before the international break and set a new record: Since the 1947–1948 season, no player had needed so little time — just 126 minutes — to score five goals at the start of a Ligue 1 career with a new club. He surpassed Johan Audel, who took 137 minutes for Valenciennes (2007–08) and Emmanuel Rivière, who needed 174 minutes for Monaco (2013–14).

Fati also is the the league joint top scorer with Panichelli,

Out of action

Marseille striker Amine Gouiri could miss the Le Havre match after suffering a right shoulder injury in a collision with Uganda’s goalkeeper while playing for Algeria.

PSG will still be without captain Marquinhos but forwards Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé could return in time for the Strasbourg match.

Off the field

The hot topic of the week is Dembélé’s future at PSG ,and the club’s need to re-evaluate his wages following his Ballon d’Or win.

According to L’Équipe newspaper, PSG plans to capitalize on the 28-year-old’s achievement to boost its global image and attract new sponsorships. However, the club must renegotiate his contract which runs until 2028. L’Équipe estimates Dembélé earns more than 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million) per month — the highest salary in the squad — and reported that his representatives are seeking a raise that reflects his new status, his impressive 2024 season (35 goals, 16 assists), and his growing influence within the team.

But with tighter financial fair play rules and reduced TV revenues, PSG is wary of returning to the wage levels once paid to Messi and Neymar (around 30 million euros net annually).

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer