After busy summers, it’s no surprise that neither side looked sharp in the final third following limited pre-seasons.
| Friday goals bets | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chelsea to score under 1.5 goals vs West Ham | 2.10 |
| PSG to score under 2.5 goals vs Angers | 2.75 |
Odds courtesy of Stake. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Are rusty PSG and Chelsea still in pre-season mode?
By advancing all the way to the final in New Jersey in July, PSG and Chelsea both significantly boosted their bank balances. However, the concern was that the true cost of their involvement in the FIFA tournament would be felt in the 2025/26 season.
It’s very early days, but the initial signs suggest that both may already be suffering from a Club World Cup hangover.
World champions Chelsea drew a blank against Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League game. Despite having much of the play, their shooting was poor, with just two of 19 attempts hitting the target. Despite registering an xG of 1.61, Enzo Maresca’s side failed to convert.
PSG weren’t much more convincing in their Ligue 1 opener away to Nantes. The Champions League holders had 18 shots in that game, but only hit the target four times. They did manage to win 1-0 thanks to a strike from Vitinha but underperformed their xG total of 1.43.
Real Madrid, another European club to reach the last four in the United States, faced similar struggles on Tuesday night. Los Blancos defeated Osasuna 1-0 in their opening La Liga fixture, but only thanks to a Kylian Mbappe penalty. They failed to score from any of their 17 shots from open play.
The pattern is clear: the teams who went far in the Club World Cup are still rusty, as they have only been through brief pre-season campaigns.
European champions unlikely to hit top gear in August
As for PSG, who didn’t play any friendlies before the UEFA Super Cup final against Spurs, this may be part of a deliberate strategy. Following their historic Champions League triumph, Luis Enrique seems to have one eye on the bigger picture.
The PSG boss was clearly eager for his stars to get a proper rest following the Club World Cup. He even left the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Nuno Mendes on the bench in Nantes. Those players may only be gradually reintroduced over the coming weeks, with August serving as a kind of extended pre-season.
Given Les Parisiens won Ligue 1 by a comfortable 19-point margin last term, they can probably afford to slowly build up their fitness and match sharpness.
The markets don’t appear to have reacted to this potential trend. That could serve up some interesting betting opportunities. Indeed, there seems to be great value in backing PSG to score under 2.5 goals against Angers on Friday.
Alexandre Dujeux’s side kept a clean sheet in their opening match against Paris FC, and they haven’t conceded in six matches, including friendlies. They appear to be capable of at least frustrating their illustrious opponents.
By contrast, backing Chelsea to score under 1.5 goals at West Ham doesn’t offer much value. That’s largely due to the Hammers’ poor showing in their 3-0 opening weekend defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland.