The newly branded French Ligue 1 McDonald’s kicks off with some significant changes, including the departure of star attraction Kylian Mbappe. However, there’s still plenty to be excited about this season.
Check out our previews for Gameweek 1, including a 44/10 treble.
Saturday 17 August
33/20 Brest | Draw 47/20 | Marseille 31/20 (18:00)
Guided by debut Ligue 1 manager Roberto De Zerbi, Marseille appears poised for victory. De Zerbi’s tactical expertise, homed in the Premier League, will be crucial as Marseille aims to improve on last season’s eighth-place finish. With captain Valentin Rongier back from injury, Marseille’s prospects look promising.
51/20 Reims | Draw 51/20 | Lille 1/1 (20:00)
Lille, led by first-season manager Bruno Génésio, seems poised for success. Lille has won 3 of their last 5 matches against Reims, highlighting their competitive edge. Génésio’s tactical expertise, sharpened during his time at Olympique Lyonnais, will be crucial. Lille’s balanced scoring and defense could be decisive in securing a victory.
5/10 Monaco | Draw 23/10 | Saint-Etienne 12/10 (22:00)
Given Monaco’s dominant head-to-head record against St Etienne, consistently winning by at least 2 goals in their last few encounters, including a 4-1 victory in April 2022 and a 4-0 win in March 2021, a victory margin of 2.5 goals seems likely for the home team.
Sunday 18 August
9/4 Auxerre | Draw 23/10 | Nice 12/10 (16:00)
Given Auxerre’s strong home form and Nice’s resilience, the match is poised to end in a draw. Both teams have shown an ability to compete closely, with their head-to-head record further suggesting a balanced outcome.
21/20 Montpellier | Draw 47/20 | Strasbourg 5/2 (18:00)
Montpellier is set to secure a victory over Strasbourg, leveraging their strong home performance and Strasbourg’s poor away form. With both teams yet to score points this season, Montpellier’s solid recent record should give them the edge against a Strasbourg side reeling from three consecutive away defeats.
21/20 Toulouse | Draw 23/10 | Nantes 51/20 (18:00)
Toulouse has had somewhat of a throwaway pre-season, but with Nantes’ struggles last season and a mediocre offseason revamp, despite the addition of Matthis Abline, head coach Antoine Kombouaré will have his work cut out for him. A draw seems like the most likely outcome.
4/1 Angers | Draw 28/10 | Lens 13/20 (18:00)
Angers may have found victory in Ligue 2, but the impressive play by Lens last season, just missing out on a European spot, allows me to lean in favour of the away team.
5/4 Rennes | Draw 47/20 | Lyon 2/1 (18:00)
Closing out the weekend, one of the more tightly contested fixtures takes place in the Northwest of France. Rennes finished four places behind Lyon last season, but only 6 points separated the two. A draw is the likely outcome.
TREBLE Win @ 44/10
PSG Win 9/20
Monaco Win 5/10
Montpellier Win 21/20