🏏 Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:45 CEST
Estac Troyes
vs
Paris FC
4-3-3 vs 4-2-3-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- This is the season opener for both clubs. Paris FC come off an 11th-place Ligue 1 finish last term, worth 44 points from 11 wins, 11 draws and 12 defeats with 47 scored and 50 conceded for a minus-3 goal difference, while Troyes are new to the division this season. Marseille have already begun with three points and a plus-4 goal difference to lead the table, with Lens second on three points and plus-3.
- Both sides line up in a 4-2-3-1, so the double-pivot battle sets the tone. Troyes pair 25-year-old Senegalese Mouhamed Diop, a 182cm midfielder signed from Kocaelispor, with 27-year-old Merwan Ifnaoui, a 178cm operator who came via Red Star. Paris FC counter with a 15-year age gap in central midfield: 18-year-old Rudy Matondo alongside 33-year-old Pierre Lees-Melou.
- Lees-Melou is the most decorated midfielder on the pitch. The 185cm central midfielder was named in the Ligue 1 team of the season for 2023-24 during his spell at Brest and also played Premier League football with Norwich, and his box-to-box running is matched by a goal threat. His partner Matondo, born in 2008, made his senior debut for Auxerre at 15 before a substantial transfer fee brought him to Paris FC.
- Algeria international Ilan Kebbal is the creative hub for the visitors. At 169cm the 28-year-old relies on left-footed precision and set-piece delivery, and he produced 11 assists in Ligue 2 in 2023-24 to help drive Paris FC's promotion. Troyes counter with a notably young back line featuring 19-year-old Anis Ouzenadji and 20-year-old Yvann Titi, the 188cm defender who arrived from Lommel.
- Lassine Sinayoko carries the visitors' goal threat. The 26-year-old Mali international is a right-footed 186cm centre-forward who rose through Auxerre's academy and has performed at the Africa Cup of Nations. He will be tracked by a contrasting Troyes centre-back pairing: 23-year-old Michel Diaz, a 193cm Ivorian with Nantes, Annecy and Brest on his CV, and 35-year-old Adrien Monfray.
- The goalkeeping contrast is stark. Paris FC field 36-year-old former Germany international Kevin Trapp, a 189cm keeper who spent four seasons at Paris Saint-Germain and won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt, bringing distribution quality and leadership. Troyes hand the gloves to 23-year-old Australian Patrick Beach, the 183cm former Melbourne City goalkeeper, a 13-year age gap between the two.
- Auxerre's academy runs deep through the Paris FC squad. Sinayoko came through there, Matondo was signed from the same club, and on the bench sits 27-year-old Algeria international Samir Chergui, another Auxerre graduate who has passed 100 appearances for Paris FC. Chergui can cover centre-back, right-back and midfield, making him a useful option if the shape needs changing late on.
- The Paris FC wide players offer different profiles. On the right, 21-year-old Luca Koleosho has already played in La Liga with Espanyol and in the Premier League with Burnley, and thrives in one-on-one situations. On the left, 23-year-old Pablo Pagis is a two-footed Lorient academy product comfortable cutting inside or crossing. In reserve are Nigeria winger Moses Simon, 31, who made more than 200 appearances across six seasons at Nantes, and 167cm technician Maxime Lopez, formerly of Marseille and Sassuolo.
- Troyes' attacking midfield line is stocked with well-travelled players. Iron Gomis, 26, is a 182cm midfielder who played in Turkey with Kayserispor and Kasimpasa before spells at Amiens and Dunkerque. Kandet Diawara, also 26, has taken in Le Havre, APOEL in Cyprus, Pau and Magdeburg in Germany. Waiting on the bench is 25-year-old Italian defender Paolo Gozzi, previously with Juventus and Genoa.