Ligue 1: Round 4 Match Previews and Predictions

Welcome to our weekly Ligue 1 predictions competition! Our panel, featuring editor-in-chief Luke Entwistle and sub-editors Raphaël Jucobin and Bastien Cheval, goes head-to-head, joined by a special guest each week. Last week, The Athletic’s Alex Barker made his debut, setting the bar high on our guest leaderboard.

Scoring is straightforward: three points for a correct score, two for a correct score difference, and one for correctly predicting the match result. The ultimate question remains: who will emerge as the season`s top predictor?

Game of the Week: Stade Rennais vs Olympique Lyonnais

Sunday, 19:45 (UK)

Stade Rennais Analysis:

After a promising start to the season, including a notable victory over Marseille despite playing with ten men for much of the match, Rennes` form has taken a dip. A devastating 4-0 loss to local rivals Lorient, compounded by two early red cards, was followed by an uninspired 1-1 draw against Angers. In that draw, Rennes struggled to create meaningful opportunities, leading to questions about their attacking prowess. Despite possessing a strong squad on paper, all eyes are now on the manager to see if he can meet the heightened expectations for the season. Early signs from the opening weeks suggest a challenging road ahead.

Olympique Lyonnais Analysis:

Lyon, alongside PSG, stands as one of only two teams to secure victories in all three of their opening matches this season. Remarkably, they are also the sole Ligue 1 side yet to concede a goal. This represents an impressive start for Paulo Fonseca`s team, especially considering widespread doubts in the summer about their capacity for a European challenge, stemming from financial constraints and the departure of key players. Fonseca, however, has consistently championed the formation of a “coherent” squad during the off-season, a strategy clearly bearing fruit in their early performances. Their recent triumph over Marseille, just before the international break, was aided by an early red card to CJ Egan-Riley, but OL`s strength was evident even before the numerical advantage. Their success hinges on defensive solidity and their ability to convert occasional goal-scoring chances. While the departure of Georges Mikautadze on deadline day might eventually pose a challenge to their scoring output, facing a defensively vulnerable Rennes side this weekend may mean this issue remains temporarily at bay.

Ligue 1 Round 4 Predictions

Raphaël`s Predictions:

• Marseille 3-1 Lorient
• Nice 2-1 Nantes
• Auxerre 1-2 Monaco
• Lille 2-0 Toulouse
• PSG 3-2 Lens
• Metz 0-1 Angers
• Brest 2-2 Paris FC
• Strasbourg 3-0 Le Havre
• Rennes 2-2 Lyon

Luke`s Predictions:

• Marseille 4-1 Lorient
• Nice 1-0 Nantes
• PSG 2-1 Lens
• Rennes 0-2 Lyon
• Auxerre 1-2 Monaco
• Lille 2-0 Toulouse
• Metz 2-0 Angers
• Brest 1-1 Paris FC
• Strasbourg 1-0 Le Havre

Bastien`s Predictions:

• Marseille 3-1 Lorient
• Nice 1-1 Nantes
• Auxerre 1-2 Monaco
• Lille 2-0 Toulouse
• Brest 1-1 Paris FC
• Metz 0-0 Angers
• PSG 1-0 Lens
• Strasbourg 2-0 Le Havre
• Rennes 1-2 Lyon