Welcome to our Ligue 1 predictions competition for Round 2! GFFN editor-in-chief Luke Entwistle, sub-editors Raphaël Jucobin and Bastien Cheval, are joined this week by special guest Alex Barker from The Athletic. Competitors earn three points for a correct score, two for a correct score difference, and one for a correct result. Let`s see who leads the pack after this week`s matches!
Current Standings
Here are the scores from the previous round:
- Raphaël: 8 points
- Luke: 6 points
- Bastien: 10 points
Game of the Week: Lille OSC vs. AS Monaco
Lille`s thrilling 3-3 draw against Brest suggests they will be an entertaining team to watch this season, though not necessarily consistent winners. The team is clearly a work in progress, having lost several key players including Jonathan David, Angel Gomes, Bafodé Diakité, Lucas Chevalier, and Rémy Cabella. This impact is particularly noticeable in defense, where they struggled against Brest, raising concerns about the departures of Diakité and Chevalier. A significant positive was Olivier Giroud`s debut, where he impressed in the first half and scored. While his finishing touch remains, his age-related fitness issues pose a question: can he be a regular starter, or is he better utilized as a substitute? Currently, there isn`t another player in the squad to alleviate his workload, a situation unlikely to change before the weekend.
Monaco will undoubtedly view Lille`s defensive frailties as an opportunity. Despite a somewhat uninspired 3-1 victory over Le Havre – the largest win of the opening weekend, placing them at the top of Ligue 1 (a position of little significance so early in the season) – coach Adi Hutter expressed dissatisfaction. He criticized his team`s sloppiness in possession and slow tempo, urging them to improve, warning that a repeat performance against Lille wouldn`t yield three points. On the positive side, Monaco`s defense looked solid, with the partnership of Eric Dier and Christian Mawissa showing promise as potentially one of the league`s strongest. This strong defensive foundation is further bolstered by the expected return of Folarin Balogun this weekend. However, the team`s preparations have been somewhat disrupted by rumors surrounding Denis Zakaria`s potential big-money transfer to Saudi Arabia. Although the deal appears to have collapsed, the controversy it generated among fans could still create an unsettling atmosphere ahead of the match.
Alex Barker`s Full Predictions
- PSG 2-0 Angers
- Marseille 3-0 Paris FC
- Nice 1-1 Auxerre
- Lyon 2-0 Metz
- Lorient 0-0 Rennes
- Le Havre 0-1 Lens
- Strasbourg 1-1 Nantes
- Toulouse 1-0 Brest
- Lille 0-3 Monaco
Raphaël Jucobin`s Full Predictions
- PSG 3-0 Angers
- Marseille 2-0 Paris FC
- Nice 1-1 Auxerre
- Lyon 3-1 Metz
- Lorient 1-3 Rennes
- Strasbourg 2-1 Nantes
- Toulouse 2-2 Brest
- Le Havre 0-1 Lens
- Lille 2-2 Monaco
Luke Entwistle`s Full Predictions
- PSG 2-0 Angers
- Marseille 2-1 Paris FC
- Nice 1-0 Auxerre
- Lyon 1-0 Metz
- Lorient 0-2 Rennes
- Strasbourg 1-1 Nantes
- Toulouse 0-1 Brest
- Le Havre 0-0 Lens
- Lille 1-2 Monaco
Bastien Cheval`s Full Predictions
- PSG 2-0 Angers
- Marseille 0-0 Paris FC
- Nice 0-1 Auxerre
- Lyon 2-0 Metz
- Lorient 0-1 Rennes
- Le Havre 0-1 Lens
- Strasbourg 1-0 Nantes
- Toulouse 1-2 Brest
- Lille 2-2 Monaco