SCORES
Raphaël: 65
Luke: 60
Bastien: 72
Guest leaderboard:
Alex Barker: 7
Julien Laurens: 7
Game of the week: Paris Saint-Germain v OGC Nice, Saturday 16:00 (UK)
When PSG beat Brest 3-0 over the weekend, they went back to the top of Ligue 1. Normal service, it seemed, had been resumed. However, they slipped up once again in midweek, drawing to lowly Lorient. It means that Luis Enrique’s side have just two wins in their last six Ligue 1 games. The European champions are not showing the same imperious form that saw them steamroll the domestic competition last season, on the way to perhaps the most comfortable league triumph of the QSI era, which contained a mere two defeats, which came at the end of the campaign, after the title was already secured.
Granted, they have not been helped by injuries, but against Lorient, it was a side almost at full strength. But the forward line will once again be depleted against Nice. Against Les Merlus, Désiré Doué suffered a thigh tear. The France international is set for several weeks, even months, on the sidelines. It is a big blow for Les Parisiens, who, after a truncated pre-season, are struggling to keep their whole squad fit and firing.
It gives hope to Nice, of course, one of the two Ligue 1 sides to beat PSG last season. Their win came at the Parc des Princes, too. Their form gives them room for optimism, too. They have won their last three games, and all have come against competent opponents in the form of Lyon, Rennes, and Lille. Against OL and LOSC in particular, Nice were dominated possessionally, but remained solid and then used the ball efficiently when they had it. That, of course, will be the formula for any success at the Parc des Princes. With Sofiane Diop in the form of his life, too, they will head to Paris with greater confidence than they did last year, with chinks in PSG’s armour now showing.
Raphael’s Ligue 1 predictions
- PSG 4-1 Nice
- Monaco 2-1 Paris FC
- Rennes 1-3 Strasbourg
- Toulouse 2-1 Le Havre
- Lens 3-1 Lorient
- Lille 3-0 Angers
- Nantes 0-0 Metz
- Brest 3-3 Lyon
Luke’s predictions
- PSG 1-1 Nice
- Monaco 3-1 Paris FC
- Rennes 1-2 Strasbourg
- Auxerre 1-2 Marseille
- Toulouse 2-0 Le Havre
- Lens 3-1 Lorient
- Lille 2-0 Angers
- Nantes 2-0 Metz
- Brest 0-3 Lyon
Bastien’s predictions
- PSG 1-1 Nice
- Monaco 3-1 Paris FC
- Auxerre 0-1 Marsille
- Rennes 1-3 Strasbourg
- Lens 2-1 Lorient
- Lille 1-0 Angers
- Nantes 1-0 Metz
- Toulouse 2-1 Le Havre
- Brest 0-1 Lyon
