This is undoubtedly the closing match between RC Lens and Paris SG (Sunday, 8:45 p.m.). Indeed, it is quite simply the reigning French champion who is moving onto his runner-up’s lawn. And if the Sang et Or had a fairly mixed first part of the season (7th, 26 points), they remain on a good dynamic, even if they were knocked out by AS Monaco in the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France (2-2, 5-6 on the tabs), last weekend. However, the Artois team will not start as favorites. The Parisians of Kylian Mbappé (1st, 40 points), authors of a card against US Revel in the Coupe de France (0-9) and winners of the Champions Trophy against Toulouse FC (2-0), got off to a perfect start the year 2024. And aspire to gain momentum to be ready for the double confrontation against Real Sociedad in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Suffice to say that this “shock” of the 18th day of Ligue 1 promises to be enticing!
Obviously… With 18 goals scored (in just 16 matches), Kylian Mbappé has a (very) large lead over his main pursuer, Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco), author of 8 goals. Impossible to see the Paris SG striker being dethroned this weekend… or even by the end of the season. But could he be troubled by rumors about his future? Given his ability to handle pressure, certainly not. He should once again find himself in a number of dangerous situations against RC Lens. It remains to be seen whether he will (again) shake the nets.
Also read: Al-Khelaïfi on Mbappé’s future at PSG: “The best club for Kylian is Paris”
SEE ALSO – “I was about to cry at half-time”…The reaction of Antoine Griezmann who became the top scorer in the history of Atlético Madrid
Respectively second and third in Ligue 1, OGC Nice (35 points) and AS Monaco (33 points) are coming off a remarkable first part of the season. And if Paris SG has a small lead in the standings, the Aiglons and the Principality team are not (yet?) completely behind. They can legitimately hope to put pressure on the Rouge et Bleu. Especially since the latter are traveling to the Bollaert-Delelis stadium, a venue where they lost a little less than a year ago (3-1). However, to come within a few steps of the capital club, the Gym and ASM must win this weekend. And the task does not look easy. Francesco Farioli’s men face, away from home, a Stade Rennes who absolutely want to get back on track (Saturday, 9 p.m.) while Adi Hütter’s players host the astonishing Stade de Reims (Saturday, 5 p.m.).
Surprise of the first part of the season, Stade Brestois (4th, 31 points) has every right to hope to stay close to the podium (or even better) this weekend. Indeed, the Breton team, which started the year well by eliminating FC Metz in the round of 32 of the Coupe de France (0-1), hosts Montpellier Hérault SC (Sunday, 3 p.m.), a mid-tier team table (12th, 18 points), whose dynamic is not particularly positive in Ligue 1. Suffice to say that Pierre Lees-Melou and his partners start favorites. It’s up to them to assume their status.
Supporters of Montpellier Hérault SC will not be allowed to travel to the Francis-Le-Blé stadium this Sunday (3 p.m.). Indeed, in a decree of January 9, 2024 published this Thursday in the Official Journal, the Ministry of the Interior prohibited them from going to Finistère, citing “a real and serious risk of clashes”. “Place Beauvau” also considers that the trips of the Paillade club “are frequently sources of disturbances to public order due to the violent behavior of certain supporters”.
In bad shape at the start of the season, Olympique de Marseille made a good comeback in the standings (6th, 27 points), coming within a few lengths of the qualifying places for the next edition of the Champions League. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to continue his momentum at the start of 2024, especially with the absences of several important players, who have gone to the African Cup of Nations (Chancel Mbemba, Amine Harit etc.). The Olympians host RC Strasbourg Alsace at the opening of the 18th day of Ligue 1. A team that is well within their reach on paper. However, Gennaro Gattuso and his men will have to be wary of the Alsatians who have three consecutive successes in the championship.
Lucas Perri, Adryelson, Malick Fofana… Olympique Lyonnais is one of the most active teams at the start of the transfer market. And we could well see his new recruits – or at least one of them – at work this Sunday on the Le Havre pitch (Sunday, 5:05 p.m.). Indeed, the two Brazilians, who arrived from Botafogo FR, have been training with their new teammates since last Tuesday and are applying (logically) for a place in the Rhone group for this weekend. Goalkeeper Lucas Perri arrives (probably) as Anthony Lopes’ understudy; we could thus find him on the substitutes’ bench. Central defender Adryelson has a better chance of getting playing time, especially with the suspension of Dejan Lovren. Malick Fofana, made official this Wednesday, could also appear in the Lyon group, especially since with the departures of Tino Kadewere (FC Nantes), Jeffinho (Botafogo FR), Ernest Nuamah and Mama Baldé (CAN), the Gones are missing offensive solutions.
With the African Cup of Nations (January 13-February 11) and the Asian Cup (January 12-February 10), Ligue 1 is losing many of its talents. In all, 67 players left France to join Ivory Coast and Qatar for continental competitions. And some clubs are more affected than others. Olympique de Marseille lost seven players, and not the least: Chancel Mbemba, Azzedine Ounahi, Amine Harit, Ismaïla Sarr, to name a few. Same thing for FC Lorient which will notably have to do without Montassar Talbi, Gédéon Kalulu and Bamba Dieng. AS Monaco is missing six important players including Wilfried Singo, Mohammed Salisu, Mohamed Camara and Takumi Minamino. Among the other notable absentees, we can note Yunis Abdelhamid (Stade de Reims), Salis Abdul Samed (RC Lens), Moses Simon (FC Nantes), Terem Moffi (OGC Nice), Alidu Seidu (Clermont Foot 63), Nabil Bentaleb ( LOSC), Ernest Nuamah (Olympique Lyonnais) and Achraf Hakimi and Kang-in Lee (Paris SG).
