Auxerre v PSG – Spotlight on AJA: fighting to avoid the drop | OneFootball

This Friday, January 23, Paris Saint-Germain faces Auxerre at the Abbé-Deschamps (kick-off at 8:00 PM, broadcast on Ligue1+) during the 19th matchday of Ligue 1 2025-2026. And as before every match, here is the presentation of PSG’s opponent.

The Situation of Auxerre –

10 years after being relegated to Ligue 2 and after a sometimes very complicated journey, AJ Auxerre has “finally” returned to Ligue 1 for the 2022-2023 season. This is a great relief for this historically important club, which at times nearly dropped to the National division.

Except they went back down… only to come back up again in the 2024-2025 season by finishing 1st in Ligue 2 the previous year. This time, the promotion was a success with an 11th place finish. Now, they need to keep the momentum going by solidifying their role in the top flight.

This is the mission of coach Christophe Pélissier, who took over in October 2022, replacing Jean-Marc Furlan. The season started off rather well, with a certain quality of play, but efficiency was lacking. Then doubts crept in, and the team slid down the standings. Today, Auxerre is 17th. In the Coupe de France, their run ended as early as the round of 64.

Summer Transfer Window 2025 –

Source: Transfermarkt.

Departures:

Arrivals:

Winter Transfer Window 2025-2026 –

Source: Transfermarkt.

Departures:

Arrivals:

Main Statistics –

This season, Auxerre has the 18th best attack in Ligue 1 with 14 goals scored (the leader, OM, has 41, and the second-to-last, Le Havre, has 16), and has the 11th defense with 28 goals conceded (Lens has the best defense with 13 goals conceded and the last, Metz, has 40).

The top scorer for Auxerre is Lassine Sinayoko (26-year-old forward), with 6 goals, ranking 10th in the league (the top scorer in Ligue 1 is Mason Greenwood with 12 goals). Ibrahim Osman (21-year-old forward) was the club’s top assist provider, with 2 assists, ranking 32nd in Ligue 1 (Vitinha is first with 6 assists). But he has returned to England. Sinayoko is now the leader, with 2 assists but ranking 62nd in the league.

The Last 5 Auxerre Matches –

Only Auxerre’s possession is indicated, and Auxerre’s shots are listed first (when data is available).

07/12/2025 (Ligue 1) – Auxerre/Metz: 3-1. In 4-3-3. 38% possession. 11 shots, 7 on target vs. 6 shots (4 on target).

14/12/2025 (Ligue 1) – Auxerre (down to 10 men at the 60th, 1-1, then down to 9 at the 88th, 3-4)/Lille (down to 10 at the 39th, 0-1, then down to 9 at the 88th minute, 3-4): 3-4. In 4-3-3. 47% possession. 17 shots, 10 on target vs. 7 shots (5 on target).

21/12/2025 (Coupe de France) – Auxerre/Monaco: 1-2. In 4-3-3. 15 shots, 7 on target vs. 17 shots (9 on target).

04/01/2026 (Ligue 1) – Brest/Auxerre: 2-0. In 4-3-3. 51% possession. 5 shots, 1 on target vs. 10 shots (4 on target).

17/01/2026 (Ligue 1) – Lens/Auxerre: 1-0. In 5-3-2. 51% possession. 2 shots, 0 on target vs. 15 shots (6 on target).

The Squad –

Absent – Buayi-Kiala, Sierralta (injury).

It should be noted that coach Christophe Pélissier stated yesterday in a press conference that Danny Namaso is ill, with a decision to be made today.

The Probable Lineup in 5-3-2.

Mara – Sinayoko

Danois – Owusu – El-Azzouzi

Oppegard – Akpa – Diomandé – Senaya – Sy

Léon

Auxerre’s Playing Style –

Auxerre does not seek to dominate possession, that is very clear. The idea is to defend well first, then strike quickly after winning the ball back, not hesitating to play long, using the flanks. PSG should be careful not to get frustrated against a low block and must not forget to keep up the tempo. Mistakes could quickly be exploited. Maximum focus and precision will be needed to avoid being caught off guard.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.