Hungry Hoarau breathing down Benzema's neck

Paris Saint-Germain FC goalscorer supreme Guillaume Hoarau could emerge from the shadow of Olympique Lyonnais star Karim Benzema when two of Ligue 1's most prolific strikers go head-to-head this weekend.

Pauleta successor
French international forward Benzema will lead the line for the champions when they arrive in the capital on Saturday, but the league leaders will be wary of Hoarau and a PSG side aiming for a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions. Top scorer in France's second tier last season with 28 goals as he helped Le Havre AC win promotion, Hoarau's eight goals from 14 league games for his new club this campaign mean he lies just a solitary strike behind Benzema ahead of their weekend meeting and has PSG fans purring that they have found a successor to departed hero Pauleta.

Clinical streak
The 24-year-old's gangling build has drawn more comparisons to Peter Crouch than the diminutive former Portuguese international, though while Hoarau shares the assured first touch of the England striker, he also possesses aerial prowess as part of a complete package that many people believed would see him receive a maiden call-up to the France squad for this week's friendly with Uruguay. His heading ability and clinical streak in front of goal were both in evidence last weekend as he scored twice in PSG's 3-1 defeat of his former club to complete a perfect homecoming.

'Eternally grateful'
"I'm really happy to come back to this stadium, these fans and those players. I have kept in contact with a lot of them," said Hoarau, whose professional career began on the bleak Normandy coast, a stark contrast and thousands of kilometres from his native Reunion island. "I consider Le Havre my second family. I owe everything to Le Havre, and I will be eternally grateful to them." That gratitude clearly did not extend to the pitch, and Hoarau sounded a warning to all Ligue 1 defenders. "I didn't set a target of the number of goals to score this season. My aim is to convert as many chances as possible into goals."

'Talented guy'
With experienced creative midfielders Ludovic Giuly and Jérôme Rothen in the side, opportunities are being created for Hoarau, who will surely not have to wait long to earn international recognition if he maintains his imperious current form. "He is a very talented guy," said former PSG president Alain Cayzac, the man who clinched the deal to bring Hoarau to the Parc des Princes in January this year before allowing him to finish the season at Le Havre. "He is also a fantastic lad. There are many young players who are thought to have talent, but who crumble under the pressure in Paris. He performed in his first game and has kept on improving."