Better the devil you know: France Football’s sensational front cover

The French media are expecting a battle of biblical proportions when David Beckham faces Joey Barton in his Paris Saint-Germain debut on Sunday.

Beckham’s first match in a PSG shirt has predictably generated much interest on both sides of the Channel but the presence of Barton on Marseille’s team sheet has added an intriguing sub-plot to proceedings.

Regular Becks critic Barton has been quite happy to stir things up himself by claiming his team have nothing to fear from the former England captain.

But the people at France Football magazine have gone a little further, not failing to notice that bad-boy Barton is the antithesis of clean-cut Goldenballs.

With mocked-up pictures of a horned Barton and a winged Beckham, the front-cover splash reads ‘ANGE ET DEMON’ (Angel and demon) before a sub-headline elaborates: ‘The two English players who are divided on everything should meet each other on Sunday evening PSG-OM. A shock in the shock.’

A shock in the shock? The final phrase is definitely lost in translation but if Barton doesn’t scythe down Beckham with a two-footed horror tackle to spark a mass brawl then it looks like the mag’s readers might be disappointed.