French Soccer League Predictions and Discussion Thread (Ligue 1)

[Swordsoffreedom]

I had doubts about this Lyon - Lille match also. Because I thought maybe that win over Rennes would fire up Lyon players a little bit to get at least one point.
But Lille finished the match in the first half already unlike my expectation. 

Lille is expected to win although they were playing away. Lyon is very weak this season and even though they woke up a bit and collected 4 points in the previous two rounds, they ended up losing and they will continue to lose probably vs Lens next and Marseille later. They have to win vs Toulouse before losing vs Monaco in the games following the previous ones. It is a hard situation they are dealing with and relegation probability will remain high if they will not improve the team..

Winning this game against Lyon was not a lot for Lille and I think couldn't have the good performance I was expecting to see from Lille. Lille was usually racing at top side of the French League, I think Lyon is a team that helps the other team to get some points even if they are not playing well enough to win the match.

The Lyon team has suffered a terrible decline this season. The team is at the bottom of the table. It was already predicted that Lille would win against Lyon. And a pretty easy win for Lille. Lille won the away match 2-0. Lyon's only target is to get out of the relegation zone. As Lyon are performing badly, it is not certain whether the team will be able to get out of the relegation zone. Out of 12 matches they have won only one match. And this team is at the last position of the points table. Lyon are still 5 points behind the 15th-placed team in the table. It will not be possible for Lyon to reduce this 5 point gap with such a poor performance.

[marcous]

It's not wrong, if there really wasn't any effort in the transfer window then it would be appropriate to say that Lyon really wanted bad things to happen to themselves. It seems that what you mean is true, I see a difficult match ahead, Lyon will face Lens, the club that once surprisingly beat Arsenal. It is very likely that Lyon will lose again, and Fabio Grosso will extend his bad reputation in his managerial career.

The transfer window is aimed at every moment to strengthen their squad by carrying out various buying and selling of players or signing new players, and this is big opportunity for Lyon to be able to improve their squad and be able to have good development in the future.
They have been under constant pressure so that every match only ends in a draw and also a defeat.
Now they are on the verge of relegation if there are no changes and good developments until this season ends. If they are relegated from Ligue 1 then they will only stay in League 2.

~snip~

I intended to make an expression about how dramatic Lyon's fate is this season, it doesn't mean "comfortable" here they didn't try, and this is just an inverted expression. Of course no club wants degradation, because after all that is not in everyone's dictionary.

When team like Lyon is relegated, they can play more easily because they will only play with League 2 teams who might be very easy to beat.
But when they can win League 2 and get promoted back to Ligue 1, won't that just be the same as Lyon still failing there.

But here, I still have confidence that Lyon can rise from its downfall and get out of the degradations zone. If later they will also be relegated then what can be done, but what is most unfortunate is that the reputation they have built in Ligue 1 will be tarnished, and they will no longer be considered an elite club. Club officials must spend a budget to improve the squad, not just replace the coach and hope that a turning point in performance can occur instantly.

~~ Snip ~~

Maybe the degradation zone is comfortable for them, so they are reluctant to leave there. Even though I understand that Lyon is one of the elite clubs in Ligue 1, what they are showing now is really damaging the reputation of the club that has been built previously. The change of coach has not been successful, and most recently they lost badly at home 2-0, which is really embarrassing.

I just think they can only target this season to get out of the degradation zone, no longer talking about the UCL zone, Europa League or something like that, because that looks impossible for them. I read the history of Lyon under the leadership of Jean Michel Aulas, it impressed me, it seems like the change in ownership has not yet shown signs that they will become title contenders. the january transfer market should be a solution to rebuild the club, as well as boost their performance to be a little better.

It's not about comfort but Lyon are confused they can't get out not not wanting to get out.
Their problems are too complex which makes their performance chaotic in the end. This made them unable to improve and had a bad season.
There is still plenty of time for them to make the situation better, but it won't be easy. They still have a lot to do, especially to improve their defense which is still very bad.
Talking about Lyon and the Champions League is ridiculous because in the end no matter how good they are, they've never even touched the Champions League before and the highest they've been is the conference league. The hope for Lyon is not to go to the Champions League but to return to being a troublesome money team and enliven the competition instead of being in the relegation zone like now.

It can be understood that Lyon still has the opportunity to improve the situation in the future. Ligue 1 still has 21 matches ahead, and there are 5 matches before the January transfer window opens again. This means that if they are active in the transfer window, there are still 17 remaining matches which are a field of points that they have to collect. I hope they can improve, but despite all that if they have a lot of budget, then this problem is quite easy to solve.

[rahmad2nd]

Luis Enrique’s impact on this PSG side hasn’t really been felt but we can see the signs. Yes, PSG sits top the Ligue 1 table but that doesn’t mean they’re much of a threat because the team still looks shaky, Luis and his boys will have a huge test against Newcastle who handed them their first defeat in the UCL, pSG Needs this win so as to secure a spot in the Round of 16. If they fail on that, yes the criticisms will come but there’ll also be loss of lots of their players who would lose Faith in this team and try out some other clubs in Europe so as to European success.

 In the Ligue, they’re just 1 point away from Nice. Yes, PSG Could win the league but we must not write off Nice who has gotten better investors and could cause an upset and pull surprises at any point, So I think Luis should really fasten his seat belt and get to work else he’ll be surprised that he’s made PSG a costly laughing stock.

Based on my personal point of view, the system and pattern that Enrique has run is as it should be. even though the coach from Spain is still trying to develop it well, as well as covering up the weaknesses of his team. However, they just need to wait until what the coach has prepared works as it should. So far, because the pure stickers they use don't appear very impressive, aka they need time to reach their level, Enrique can't help but take advantage of and rely on Mbappe as a goal-scoring machine for his squad. In the end, PSG returned to the top of the Ligue 1 standings. In the last 8 matches in Ligue 1, PSG began to appear in its game scheme. Even though one match ended in a draw when they visited Clermont headquarters. the point is, gradually PSG will find a solid playing rhythm under the guidance of Luis Enrique.
So, the biggest problem is the team below PSG. How are they able to remain in tight competition with this giant French League squad, whether it's Nice, Monaco, even teams ranked 5th and above.

Now, we are talking about the match that will take place in a few hours. Well, on the contrary, the pressure came on Newcastle in this match. Moreover, the match was played at Paris Saint-Germain's home ground. The challenge is whether Eddie Howe can repeat his victory over PSG in this second leg meeting. This is a test for Newcastle, especially since they are in 4th place. Like it or not, Newcastle had to go all out even in the absence of several injured players. there are no other words, other than let's wait and watch.

[Ryu_Ar1]

It's not about comfort but Lyon are confused they can't get out not not wanting to get out.
Their problems are too complex which makes their performance chaotic in the end. This made them unable to improve and had a bad season.
There is still plenty of time for them to make the situation better, but it won't be easy. They still have a lot to do, especially to improve their defense which is still very bad.
Talking about Lyon and the Champions League is ridiculous because in the end no matter how good they are, they've never even touched the Champions League before and the highest they've been is the conference league. The hope for Lyon is not to go to the Champions League but to return to being a troublesome money team and enliven the competition instead of being in the relegation zone like now.

It can be understood that Lyon still has the opportunity to improve the situation in the future. Ligue 1 still has 21 matches ahead, and there are 5 matches before the January transfer window opens again. This means that if they are active in the transfer window, there are still 17 remaining matches which are a field of points that they have to collect. I hope they can improve, but despite all that if they have a lot of budget, then this problem is quite easy to solve.

It is difficult if they have to be active in the transfer market because we know what their finances are like but there will definitely be at least 1 player who must be brought in for the current defence because they still cannot contribute well because no matter how good their attack line is, things like this will not be able to be maximised if the defence is not stable so in order to fill the void there must at least be an option for players who can indeed be a good patch in defence.
In addition, the mentality must also be improved from some players in order to regain their momentum in the game because too many defeats disturb the mental stability of the players as well which is precisely if this is allowed to drag on they will not be able to get out of the current series of defeats. There must be more motivation from Grosso so that his players are better and have more enthusiasm in competing.

[bitgolden]

It's not about comfort but Lyon are confused they can't get out not not wanting to get out.
Their problems are too complex which makes their performance chaotic in the end. This made them unable to improve and had a bad season.
There is still plenty of time for them to make the situation better, but it won't be easy. They still have a lot to do, especially to improve their defense which is still very bad.
Talking about Lyon and the Champions League is ridiculous because in the end no matter how good they are, they've never even touched the Champions League before and the highest they've been is the conference league. The hope for Lyon is not to go to the Champions League but to return to being a troublesome money team and enliven the competition instead of being in the relegation zone like now.

True, Lyon's performance until now still has many gaps. Poor defense, their attack line also still does not have a good final finish makes this even more complicated for Lyon.
But indeed if at the end they can improve this then I think there will be no problem for Lyon to get out of the relegation zone now.
Their chances are still there especially now that we are still at the beginning of the middle of the season so the chance is still great and indeed the focus at this time only has to get out of the relegation zone because regardless of anything the relegation zone must Lyon avoid now.

The finishing issue is the biggest one, I mean defense is of course not that great but their defense is not relegation zone worthy defense if you ask me, they are playing good enough on defense that they could have gotten a few ties. However, their offense is totally terrible, it's like they are missing wide open shots at times, they really do need some pure proper striker that can score easier, I am not saying they need a guy who scores every game, at this level you can't get that, but if he scores even once every half games, just from striker, that would have been amazing for them.

In the end, they are trying their best and I hope that they can stay, they are a big name club that deserves to be at the top league. Seeing Lyon drop to second league would be a bad feeling, it's like my whole childhood is gone, watching them dominate this league was a big fun for me, and it was a period where I really hated them, now to see them this way, I can't help but feel sorry for them.

[bitpotter]

Winning this game against Lyon was not a lot for Lille and I think couldn't have the good performance I was expecting to see from Lille. Lille was usually racing at top side of the French League, I think Lyon is a team that helps the other team to get some points even if they are not playing well enough to win the match.

Lille considers Lyon to be a weak team this season and they will not waste the opportunity to increase their points tally. It looks like Lille has a chance to compete and maybe they could become a new threat if they continue with their current performance. Lyon cannot be expected, this team has been too weak since the start of the season and they have no chance of returning to the top 10 this season.

[Fara Chan]

But here, I still have confidence that Lyon can rise from its downfall and get out of the degradations zone. If later they will also be relegated then what can be done, but what is most unfortunate is that the reputation they have built in Ligue 1 will be tarnished, and they will no longer be considered an elite club. Club officials must spend a budget to improve the squad, not just replace the coach and hope that a turning point in performance can occur instantly.

Lyon club officials must be able to take advantage of the player transfer market at the start of next year so that they can improve the performance of the Lyon team for the remainder of this season or since the second half of this season begins. Because without recruiting more reliable players, it will also be difficult for the coach to improve the Lyon team's performance because currently the Lyon team is really behind so they have to fight to escape the relegation zone. Even though in the previous season the Lyon team was quite good in terms of performance and could even disrupt other big teams in Ligue1.

[Leviathan.007]

Luis Enrique’s impact on this PSG side hasn’t really been felt but we can see the signs. Yes, PSG sits top the Ligue 1 table but that doesn’t mean they’re much of a threat because the team still looks shaky, Luis and his boys will have a huge test against Newcastle who handed them their first defeat in the UCL, pSG Needs this win so as to secure a spot in the Round of 16. If they fail on that, yes the criticisms will come but there’ll also be loss of lots of their players who would lose Faith in this team and try out some other clubs in Europe so as to European success.

 In the Ligue, they’re just 1 point away from Nice. Yes, PSG Could win the league but we must not write off Nice who has gotten better investors and could cause an upset and pull surprises at any point, So I think Luis should really fasten his seat belt and get to work else he’ll be surprised that he’s made PSG a costly laughing stock.

Every new coach needs time to adapt to the changes that have occurred quite a lot in the PSG squad. I think it is very natural that their performance declined a little at the start of the season, but now Luis Enrique has slowly succeeded in making PSG's performance much more developed and there is better progress throughout. his week which I think is a positive thing.

Nice and Monaco do look stronger this season and they are trying to create fierce competition with PSG in the race for the title in the Ligue this season but I see realistically that the strength of these two teams is still below PSG so if PSG doesn't make mistakes like they did in At the start of the season it certainly won't be difficult for PSG to defend the title.

More than anything, I think the performance of Lens was disappointing compared to the last season while Nice was amazing and you are also right about Monaco being in the good form both of these teams are currently racing at the top of the table while still, the first hope for the French league is PSG.

[Google+]

More than anything, I think the performance of Lens was disappointing compared to the last season while Nice was amazing and you are also right about Monaco being in the good form both of these teams are currently racing at the top of the table while still, the first hope for the French league is PSG.

Regarding Lens performance this season, of course they experienced quite a big setback when compared to the previous season. But recently they have been able to make more efficient changes in improving their performance in Ligue 1 and for the time being they are ranked 6th in the standings. I am sure that Lens will be able to break into the top 4 rankings because the point difference is getting closer to the teams that are ranked in the top 4. Monaco is a big team in Ligue 1 but they are often unstable in their form so it is very difficult to bet on the matches they play.

Of course PSG is very strong in Ligue 1 and their achievements so far are quite good because they have won 6 matches in a row which makes PSG very comfortable sitting as leaders of the standings. There is nothing interesting enough in Ligue 1 in the title race because PSG has a very big chance of winning the title if you look at the depth of their team strength.

[QueenVera]

The depth of the squad that PSG has is the dream of all coaches to become their manager. Currently, Luis Enrique is lucky because he has the best squad under his control. Personally, I have no doubts about the quality he has to be able to make the Ligue 1 trophy theirs when the season ends, but the only challenge for Enrique is to reach the UCL final and win the trophy, that is his main task this season and that is what the PSG management is for. appointed him as head coach. Some of the players who were brought in last summer are not yet optimal, I think this is the factor that makes them still look unstable.

Nice are PSG direct challengers this season in Ligue 1, and have not suffered a single defeat in 13 weeks. However, we certainly still remember PSG scenario in taking over the top of the standings. Nice drawing a lot with their opponents, based on this I have no hesitation in saying that Enrique squad is ultimately like guaranteed to win the trophy at the end of the season. The real challenge currently in front of us is Newcastle, a match that actually needs to get all the attention from all elements of the club, because it will determine their fate in the round of 16.

 PSG doesn’t have squad depth and we should learn to stop giving empty praises because it’s not what’s best for Europe, how will you call PSG who’s struggling in the UCL and probably in their league and call them class; that’s not class. They’re up in their standings with just a point or two and they're currently 3rd in their group with just 6points, which means they would not qualify for the next round if they don't win Dortmund away

 The Ligue 1 might be a walkover but will the said squad with enough depth, be able to beat Newcastle to secure a place in the Round of 16 of the UCL. This is going to be a tough one and I don’t think PSg will be able to survive this Newcastle who defeated Chelsea over the weekend, cause they're still leading the game by 0-1 and PSG is finding it tough to get a reply.

[Josefjix]

Lille considers Lyon to be a weak team this season and they will not waste the opportunity to increase their points tally. It looks like Lille has a chance to compete and maybe they could become a new threat if they continue with their current performance. Lyon cannot be expected, this team has been too weak since the start of the season and they have no chance of returning to the top 10 this season.

Every other competitive average teams are victorious over Olympique Lyonnias this season which is totally unacceptable for the fans because they have lost hope completely of escaping relegation. They're the least ranking club on the table and that does send a message to everyone, they will have to fight more potentials next season to come back to France main league. Lyon have not completely utilized their chances but the players are not motivated, rather they embraced the fact that they're not in good shape and winning seems like huge struggles.

[rendravolt]

It looks like Lyon's losing trend will continue this week, because their next opponent is Lens. In fact, both teams were down at the start of the season, but Lens got up first and continued to get positive results in every match. In contrast to Lens, Lyon continues to be destroyed and loses opportunities to win and now they are the team that earns points for other teams. I feel that Lyon has no chance of beating Lens with their current form but if they are able to hold Lens to a draw away from home at least that is still good enough than going home with no points at all.

[Velvet78]

I really didn't like PSG's performance against Newcastle at all last night. I mean they were able to create so many goal opportunities but they scored the equalizer too late. Maybe one point is still not that bad for them but this was definitely a game that they should have been able to win. Luis Enrique must also be unsatisfied with this effort.

They are doing great in the Ligue 1 though. They have had a long-running winning streak so far. Their next game is an away game against Le Havre in which I don't expect any surprises either. But the Champions League is very critical for them. Because they are still under the threat of dropping down to the Europa League. 

[Cryptmuster]

More than anything, I think the performance of Lens was disappointing compared to the last season while Nice was amazing and you are also right about Monaco being in the good form both of these teams are currently racing at the top of the table while still, the first hope for the French league is PSG.

Monaco lost 5-2 in the last match to PSG, it is difficult to say anything about good form, and they will try to finish the season in the Champions League zone, but they will not be able to fight with Nice and PSG on equal terms. Moreover, the whole intrigue in Ligue 1 will be how long Nice can pursue PSG, as soon as Nice starts making mistakes and losing points, everything will end. PSG is gradually reaching its optimal form, so I think that they will only increase their advantage.

[kro55]

More than anything, I think the performance of Lens was disappointing compared to the last season while Nice was amazing and you are also right about Monaco being in the good form both of these teams are currently racing at the top of the table while still, the first hope for the French league is PSG.

Monaco lost 5-2 in the last match to PSG, it is difficult to say anything about good form, and they will try to finish the season in the Champions League zone, but they will not be able to fight with Nice and PSG on equal terms. Moreover, the whole intrigue in Ligue 1 will be how long Nice can pursue PSG, as soon as Nice starts making mistakes and losing points, everything will end. PSG is gradually reaching its optimal form, so I think that they will only increase their advantage.

Monaco and Nice will find it much more difficult to top the points table. Even I don't think these two teams will be able to create any obstacle for PSG to win the title. The attacking side of the Monaco team is quite strong. And they are performing very well in every match. However, the defense of this team is very weak. Monaco conceded 19 goals in 13 matches. On the other hand, Nice's defense is the strongest defense in Ligue 1 this year. They conceded only 4 goals in 13 matches. However, Nice's players are unable to score too many goals. The team scored only 14 goals in 13 matches. This is why the performances of these two teams are likely to be more erratic in the upcoming matches.

[Mame89]

Winning this game against Lyon was not a lot for Lille and I think couldn't have the good performance I was expecting to see from Lille. Lille was usually racing at top side of the French League, I think Lyon is a team that helps the other team to get some points even if they are not playing well enough to win the match.

Lyon is currently at their worse than they were when compared to their performance and form last season, they were much more better although they didn't finish top but some where around the middle and we would expect they turned out better this season but sadly they didn't.

They are even relegation prone as their weakness has continually been an avenue exploited by others to always steal points from them. Lilie isn't a team that could have won Lyon with was if Lyon were to be in their form just like they were last season but now Lyon is turning into a small team in the Ligue I this season. They have won only one match this season and had a few draw then lost the remaining which has caused them the last position on the league table.

PSG's dominance destroyed all its competitors, AS Monaco, Lyon, Marseille, most ironically Saint Etienne who is now relegated to Division 2 even though they used to dominate the French League for 7 consecutive seasons. Now that Lyon has fallen at the bottom of the standings, it is not surprising that Lyon will end up like this. Lyon now needs an injection of funds from investors to avoid the relegation zone this season because it would be a shame if Lyon had to drop to the second caste this season.

It's the same as Ajax, Basel and Lyon have been in trouble this season, but there are good signs here. Ajax have recently turned their fortunes around under a new manager, while Lyon picked up their first league win of the season, although this did not help them bottom out as Clermont won their last game at the same time. It is surprising that they are now fighting to avoid relegation after years of financial crisis.

[Oneandpure]

PSG's dominance destroyed all its competitors, AS Monaco, Lyon, Marseille, most ironically Saint Etienne who is now relegated to Division 2 even though they used to dominate the French League for 7 consecutive seasons. Now that Lyon has fallen at the bottom of the standings, it is not surprising that Lyon will end up like this. Lyon now needs an injection of funds from investors to avoid the relegation zone this season because it would be a shame if Lyon had to drop to the second caste this season.

It's the same as Ajax, Basel and Lyon have been in trouble this season, but there are good signs here. Ajax have recently turned their fortunes around under a new manager, while Lyon picked up their first league win of the season, although this did not help them bottom out as Clermont won their last game at the same time. It is surprising that they are now fighting to avoid relegation after years of financial crisis.

Before PSG era with dominance winning Ligue 1 have Lyon success won seven consecutives domestic league tittles but after PSG acquisition drastically change. I remember when Lyon with their players such as Juninho success won many Ligue 1 tittle but the modern era and money is the first most important thing make Ligue 1 have new comer as PSG always dominance every season. Stable financial is most important in football modern era, not important with your teams achievement histories and how many tittles got regarding less financial will difficult to defend tittles.

Lyon who dominance Ligue 1 tittle before PSG acquisition have drastically performed and they have on the bottom position, so sad with team more histories of Ligue 1 trophies achievement have relegation in this season.

[Docnaster]

More than anything, I think the performance of Lens was disappointing compared to the last season while Nice was amazing and you are also right about Monaco being in the good form both of these teams are currently racing at the top of the table while still, the first hope for the French league is PSG.

Monaco lost 5-2 in the last match to PSG, it is difficult to say anything about good form, and they will try to finish the season in the Champions League zone, but they will not be able to fight with Nice and PSG on equal terms. Moreover, the whole intrigue in Ligue 1 will be how long Nice can pursue PSG, as soon as Nice starts making mistakes and losing points, everything will end. PSG is gradually reaching its optimal form, so I think that they will only increase their advantage.

Anyone who was able to have followed the development in the French Ligue 1 last season will definitely be shocked by Lens significant decline in form since the start of the season because last season, they were one of the top contenders that challenged eventual winners Paris Saint Germaine for the French league title. They've been a shadow of the Lens team we all saw last season and the reason behind their decline is something I don't even know.

Monaco and Nice has been outstanding this season season and looks like the two top teams that are gonna strongly challenge league leaders PSG for the title but that being said, I don't think they have all it takes to stop the reigning champions of France PSG from retaining the league title once more. The quality of players in the PSG set-up is just too good to be stopped by any French team from retaining the title once again.

[borovichok]

More than anything, I think the performance of Lens was disappointing compared to the last season while Nice was amazing and you are also right about Monaco being in the good form both of these teams are currently racing at the top of the table while still, the first hope for the French league is PSG.

Ligue One tournament are for the bigger boys, I'm talking about elite teams that have proven to be qualify for significant positions. Paris Saint-Germain are the Champs of Ligue One, their domination have lasted for years and they're still in consistent condition this season. Lens are in better shape, they just lack the necessary qualities of been in winning positions this season, however we shouldn't be in compromising position simply because Lens are having rough period in Ligue One, there are times these things happens to clubs and there are times we enjoy the beautiful game of football displayed by these clubs.

[Ayers]

Lille considers Lyon to be a weak team this season and they will not waste the opportunity to increase their points tally. It looks like Lille has a chance to compete and maybe they could become a new threat if they continue with their current performance. Lyon cannot be expected, this team has been too weak since the start of the season and they have no chance of returning to the top 10 this season.

Every other competitive average teams are victorious over Olympique Lyonnias this season which is totally unacceptable for the fans because they have lost hope completely of escaping relegation. They're the least ranking club on the table and that does send a message to everyone, they will have to fight more potentials next season to come back to France main league. Lyon have not completely utilized their chances but the players are not motivated, rather they embraced the fact that they're not in good shape and winning seems like huge struggles.

Lyon is just not playing well at all in the season. I actually wonder how they were even able to win one match. And the amount of goals that they have conceded is definitely too much and I also do not think that they are going to win any matches. At least not in the next 3/4. It looks like they are going to get relegated this season. It will be really hard for them to avoid relegation in this season. And I think it is going to be a pretty easy three points for their opponent in the next match as well.