The new season in French football will be officially opened this weekend with the Trophée des Champions. An annual match between the Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and the winners of the national Cup competition Lyon will be held on Saturday evening.

Smooth transition

It’s been a busy summer for Paris Saint-Germain, who have gone through major changes in their personnel over the past month or so. Having parted ways with manager Laurent Blanc, the Saints brought a high-profile replacement with former Sevilla boss Unai Emery taking over at the end of June. The experienced Spanish tactician has made an instant impact in the French capital as he guided his team to four consecutive wins during preseason. A 4-0 thrashing of the Premier League champions Leicester City was particularly impressive as PSG showcased that they will be ready for the new season. Many people were wondering if the departure of the towering Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic will leave mark in the squad but Emery is happy to give Edinson Cavani more freedom upfront next season. Furthermore, PSG agreed on a deal with Real Madrid striker Jese who is on verge of completing a €25m move to Parc des Princes. PSG fans will be happy to hear that midfielder enforcer Marco Verratti has signed a new four-year deal with the club as the Italian international pledges alliance to French champions amid intense interest from Europe’s big clubs. It is fair to say that Emery will have a strong competitive squad at his disposal for the next campaign with new faces such as Hatem Ben Arfa, Thomas Meunier, Giovani Lo Celso and Grzegorz Kychowiak all ready to impress.

Unai Emery is still looking for the winning combination and will be keen to explore his options against Lyon with all of his players fit to play in the Super Cup match.

Lacazette the key

Ligue 1 runners-up Lyon are heading into the first competitive match of the new season with a big headache over the future of their star performer Alexandre Lacazette. The 25-year-old scored 21 goals for Lyon last season and is a transfer target for Premier League outfit Arsenal who are searching for a supporting striker for Olivier Giroud. Lyon have rejected the latest £29 million approach from the Gunners, but as the player himself seems keen on a move to the Premier League Lyon manager Bruno Genesio could face a selection dilemma for the forthcoming match. Olympique Lyon have been proactive during the summer transfer window with no less than eight players arriving to boost the squad. Among them, Mathieu Valbuena and former Manchester United right back Rafael seem to be the most prominent ones. The French giants are expected to make additional signings this summer and Manchester United forward Memphis Depay could be another addition to the squad if reports from France are to be believed. Lyon are keen to make a step forward and challenge the reigning champions PSG next season for silverware. Aware of the task that lies ahead, Lyon will be eager to kick off their campaign with a trophy that would be a major boost for the team’s spirits ahead of the new season. Lyon have been in fine form lately as they have won their last three friendly matches with a 3-2 thriller against Portuguese giants Benfica being the highlight of the preseason so far.

Alexandre Lacazette is expected to lead the attack despite Arsenal bid and Lyon manager is likely to field his strongest line-up as he looks to start the new season on a high.

Verdict

Lyon have finished last season far behind PSG with a margin of 31 points standing between them and Bruno Genesio’s men will be keen to put in their best performance to make their presence known at the beginning of the new season. PSG have gone through a lot of changes this summer but the transition has been smooth and seamless, with Emery’s team ready to challenge for honours yet again.

Top Pick: PSG   1.7 (7/10) @Ladbrokes

Alternative Pick 1: PSG/PSG   2.65 (28/17) @Unibet

Alternative Pick 2: Both teams to score – No  1.95 (19/20) @Bet365