Nantes are in “last-chance saloon” as the second-bottom side attempt to shock Paris Saint-Germain and keep their bid to beat the drop in Ligue 1 intact, says PSG manager Luis Enrique.
La Maison Jaune, who reappointed Vahid Halilhodzic for a second spell as manager last month, are five points from safety with a match in hand on third-bottom Auxerre and five games of their season remaining.
“Playing against the struggling sides is really hard,” Luis Enrique explained, discussing the challenge of facing imperilled teams towards the end of campaigns.
“Last season, we drew [1-1] at home to Nantes. We want to get a good result but it isn’t easy to win 4-0 or 5-0.”
PSG had conceded one goal in total across six consecutive wins in all competitions before losing 2-1 at home to Lyon on Saturday, leaving the reigning champions a point above Lens at the top of the table with a game in hand.
Nantes have won one of their last 13 matches in all competitions and none of their last six, although they have drawn their last three and were only denied a home victory over Brest by Brendan Chardonnet’s 96th-minute equaliser on Sunday, when Halilhodzic was infuriated by midfielder Dehmaine Tabibou’s second-half dismissal.
The Bosnian and Herzegovinian was also sent off for his reaction to the incident and has now been banned for four matches after confronting the match officials, adding in a post-match interview (via L’Equipe) that he was “done with football”.
“We lost two points that perhaps would have given us a little more hope,” the 73-year-old said of the result.
“We have to pull off an exceptional feat: win against Paris Saint-Germain, win [away to fifth-placed] Rennes [on Sunday].
“We’ll continue to the end for the honour of the club, the honour of the jersey. We can [recover], but against the best team in the world… we can’t afford another thrashing.”
Une frappe limpide.
— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) April 20, 2026
La réalisation de notre buteur @mmostafa_11 🇪🇬🏹 pic.twitter.com/FzvkgvHdXu
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PSG v Nantes team news
Left-back Nuno Mendes (muscle), midfielder Vitinha (heel) and forward Quentin Ndjantou (hamstring) are injured for PSG.
Fabian Ruiz came off the bench against Lyon as the midfielder continues his return from injury and 18-year-old forward Ibrahim Mbaye has returned to the squad.
Right-backs Fabien Centonze (knee) and Kelvin Amian (groin) and centre-backs Tylel Tati (thigh) and Abakar Sylla (knee) are sidelined for Nantes.
Francis Coquelin is also out after being substituted at half-time against Brest with a thigh injury and Mohamed Kaba (muscle) is sidelined, but fellow midfielder Tabibou can play after having his red card changed to a caution.
Playmaker Remy Cabella (hamstring) is unavailable. Eric Blahic will deputise for Halilhodzic and suspended assistant Patrick Collot in the technical area.
PSG v Nantes predicted line-ups
PSG starting XI: Matvey Safonov, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaire-Emery, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue
Nantes starting XI: Anthony Lopes, Frederic Guilbert, Chidozie Awaziem, Ali Youssif, Nicolas Cozza, Ibrahima Sissoko, Matthis Abline, Johann Lepenant, Dehmaine Tabibou, Deiver Machado, Ignatius Ganago
Where to watch PSG v Nantes: TV channel, live online streams
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 18:00 BST (13:00 ET / 11:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Ligue 1 Plus.
Ligue 1 Pass costs £9.99 a month or £79.99 a season.
PSG v Nantes stats
- PSG are unbeaten in eight editions of the fixture since a 3-1 away defeat in February 2022, winning five in a row after that result before two 1-1 draws between the teams in 2024/25
- Those stalemates preceded a 1-0 PSG victory at the Stade de la Beaujoire last August, Vitinha scoring the second-half winner
- Between April 2004 and April 2019, PSG won all 14 of their home matches against Nantes and conceded a total of four goals across those encounters
- They are on a five-match unbeaten home run in the fixture and won four in a row before that most recent draw, in which Matthis Abline equalised for Nantes after Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring
- Against Lyon, PSG conceded at least two goals for the fourth time in their last six home matches in all competitions
- Nantes have scored on five of their last six visits to PSG, last winning when goals by Randal Kolo Muani and Moses Simon gave them a 2-1 comeback victory on March 14 2021
- They have gone more than five hours and 15 minutes without an away goal, last scoring on the road through Centonze’s goal in a 3-1 defeat at Monaco on February 13
- Both of their last two away matches have finished 0-0, drawing at Auxerre and Metz
- Only Brest (78%) have a lower pass completion rate in this season’s Ligue 1 than Nantes (80%). PSG have the highest rate, of 91%
- Tabibou (3) has made the most errors leading to goals of any player in the 2025/26 division
PSG v Nantes prediction
Our prediction: PSG 1-0 Nantes
PSG’s superiority should tell against depleted opponents, but Nantes’ run of six successive games without a result margin of more than one goal suggests this will be a tight contest. Seven of the last nine meetings between these teams at the Parc des Princes have been decided by no more than two goals.
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