French Soccer League Predictions and Discussion Thread (Ligue 1)

[ASloveapg]

I think that Paris Saint-Germain played a match convinced that they could bring home the result, greatly underestimating their rival team.
Lens, on the other hand, entered the field respecting Paris Saint-Germain and playing a level match as befits matches of this type, as they deserved and brought home the result.

Paris Saint-Germain tried their best, but they couldn't defend their 5th consecutive Trophée des Champions title. Lens played better than expected, PSG maybe weren't prepared for such a great performance from Lens, and that's why PSG couldn't score a goal even against a team of 10, PSG were much better in terms of possession on the field, PSG were much better in terms of attack, but despite being better in all aspects, the end result of the match was a very unexpected 1-0 defeat for PSG. It was really unacceptable.


This would have been PSG's 5th consecutive Trophée des Champions, after previously winning 8 consecutive Trophée des Champions titles, then losing to LOSCLille broke their streak, after which PSG won 4 consecutive Trophée des Champions titles again, and now they have their streak broken again by RC Lens, and this is RC Lens' first Trophée des Champions title.

[Hyphen(-)]

To me I'm not really concerned about that Paris Saint German lost to Lens, I only take it that Luis Enrique was never interested on that trophy, if they can beat Aston Villa in the Super cup, who then is Lens, because the last time I checked, Aston Villa is still stronger than Lens, so what's the big deal, I think Luis Enrique major concern right now is on how to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy the third time in a row, of which I don't think it's necessary, but he will give it a try to see how it goes, so let's just get over this lost to Lens.

He is interested in the trophy that was why he set up with the best team he can, and almost all his first team players that are available playing the game yet they still lost despite their opponents Lens were one man down from the first half.

What I observed in the match is that, they underrated Lens in that match and Lens showed them that they are prepared to win the trophy, at least it is an achievement due them since they couldn’t win the League 1 last season, and the trophy is a sign that they are getting set for next season.

Another reason why we are so concerned about PSG losing that trophy is that, we will be expecting them to have strong contenders in the League 1, I don’t want seeing PSG winning always, at least let another team try to win it also to make the league competitive than it is now.

[Decimetre]

Let's not forget that we are still at the beginning at the season, many PSG players had a long summer because of the World Cup in the USA, so they didn't rest properly, and then soon after that they were back training again. On one side probably Luis Enrique did underestimate a bit Lens, on the other this is the type of defeat that could happen at the beginning of the season. Nothing too serious in my opinion.

I believe that instead it was a mistake of the various individual players to believe they could win the trophy in such a simple way and not listen to the coach who always tells them to stay attentive and concentrated.

The players decided to play a game in which possession was clearly on Paris Saint-Germain's side without taking into account Lens' lightning counterattacks.

Lens has become the main challenger of PSG in France league, and still, PSG still don't take them seriously as they deserve during each of their encounters. For me I will give it to Risser who kept off the goals that were coming from the PSG side making a total of 5 saves against Matvey Safonov's single save. PSG played very well but silly mistake took their shine. Risser denied PSG of their second trophy of the season. This will give Luis Enrique a clue of what he's going to be facing in the league this season.

It is true that the PSG players have had a lot of games to play during the break but I did not expect Lens to win them in this game. The league will be starting in two days time, let them dust off their loss and get ready for the challenge.

[MAAManda]

This would have been PSG's 5th consecutive Trophée des Champions, after previously winning 8 consecutive Trophée des Champions titles, then losing to LOSCLille broke their streak, after which PSG won 4 consecutive Trophée des Champions titles again, and now they have their streak broken again by RC Lens, and this is RC Lens' first Trophée des Champions title.

Since 2013, Paris Saint-Germain has won 12 competition trophies. So, actually, this trophy isn't all that special for them to win. Well, I agree with anyone who says that Paris Saint-Germain underestimated RC Lens & failed to secure a trophy that ought to be part of their tradition. However, try looking at it from another perspective.

On the other side, RC Lens, who missed out on the Ligue 1 title last season, have now secured the first Trophée des Champions in the club's history. Congrats to them!

[macson]

It’s so impressive for Lens to break PSG's record --- even with just 10 men, they managed to do it and completely shut PSG down. But this might also be because Lens were playing at home, giving them so much confidence, and Enrique made a mistake by not anticipating how aggressive Lens would be in the first half. But it's such a painful loss for PSG, especially since they were just crowned Champions League winners. Enrique seems to need to pay attention to their backline because it's so fragile and not ready to handle quick counterattacks.

[HyperCodexV]

To me I'm not really concerned about that Paris Saint German lost to Lens, I only take it that Luis Enrique was never interested on that trophy, if they can beat Aston Villa in the Super cup, who then is Lens, because the last time I checked, Aston Villa is still stronger than Lens, so what's the big deal, I think Luis Enrique major concern right now is on how to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy the third time in a row, of which I don't think it's necessary, but he will give it a try to see how it goes, so let's just get over this lost to Lens.

He is interested in the trophy that was why he set up with the best team he can, and almost all his first team players that are available playing the game yet they still lost despite their opponents Lens were one man down from the first half.

What I observed in the match is that, they underrated Lens in that match and Lens showed them that they are prepared to win the trophy, at least it is an achievement due them since they couldn’t win the League 1 last season, and the trophy is a sign that they are getting set for next season.

Another reason why we are so concerned about PSG losing that trophy is that, we will be expecting them to have strong contenders in the League 1, I don’t want seeing PSG winning always, at least let another team try to win it also to make the league competitive than it is now.

I think PSG actually underestimated Lens and for a club of that caliber to lose to a 10 man team was flat out embarrasing and trying to claim that Luis Enrique didn't care much about the trophy is just classic dishonesty because he played his first team players so it was evidently the fact that they felt lens will show them some respect and that wasn't the case, obviously Lens wanted it more which is why even with a man down they still won the game.

In a more broader look of things, I feel other teams in League 1 need to step up their games in order to make the league more competitive. The overdominance of PSG in that league is becoming boring.

[changaa]

Ever since I started watching Ligue (which is not really a long term) but ever since, PSG has been the most dominant team in the league, just as Bayern Munich is to the German league, I feel like PSG is just Ligue 1. I have watched Lens play before but then the overpowering ball PSG plays in Ligue 1, is exactly what I'm referring to, like without a doubt we all can assume PSG takes the league this season. No one would really contest that but then again, it is football and anything can happen.

Paris Saint-Germain is coming off a sensational season. Lens has undoubtedly had a season with mixed but nevertheless very convincing performances, coming very close to winning Ligue 1. This year, if they manage to concentrate more precisely on the championship, they could really amaze many.

[Pablo-wood]

Ever since I started watching Ligue (which is not really a long term) but ever since, PSG has been the most dominant team in the league, just as Bayern Munich is to the German league, I feel like PSG is just Ligue 1. I have watched Lens play before but then the overpowering ball PSG plays in Ligue 1, is exactly what I'm referring to, like without a doubt we all can assume PSG takes the league this season. No one would really contest that but then again, it is football and anything can happen.

Paris Saint-Germain is coming off a sensational season. Lens has undoubtedly had a season with mixed but nevertheless very convincing performances, coming very close to winning Ligue 1. This year, if they manage to concentrate more precisely on the championship, they could really amaze many.

Last season Lens managed to stay 6 points below PSG do we think they can out do that performance this season?. Marsielle and Monaco who used to managed their way to top 3 had a floppy stat last season. I just feel no team is ready to take down PSG from the table top yet not even after Lens performance in the French Super Cup. I just feel that trophy was just a gift to Lens for participating because PSG had full control of the game only that the couldn't take the lead at the end.

[Cryptmuster]

It’s so impressive for Lens to break PSG's record --- even with just 10 men, they managed to do it and completely shut PSG down. But this might also be because Lens were playing at home, giving them so much confidence, and Enrique made a mistake by not anticipating how aggressive Lens would be in the first half. But it's such a painful loss for PSG, especially since they were just crowned Champions League winners. Enrique seems to need to pay attention to their backline because it's so fragile and not ready to handle quick counterattacks.

I don't see this defeat as anything catastrophic for PSG. On the contrary, I think that after their loss in the Super Cup, they'll be more focused, perhaps even a little angry, against Rennes. So it will be a good chance to bet on PSG in their next match. And the odds for a PSG win are good, still hovering around 1.45, I think that's quite good. Even if someone doesn't place single bets at such low odds, I think it would be a good addition to parlay.

[Silence Scream]

It’s so impressive for Lens to break PSG's record --- even with just 10 men, they managed to do it and completely shut PSG down. But this might also be because Lens were playing at home, giving them so much confidence, and Enrique made a mistake by not anticipating how aggressive Lens would be in the first half. But it's such a painful loss for PSG, especially since they were just crowned Champions League winners. Enrique seems to need to pay attention to their backline because it's so fragile and not ready to handle quick counterattacks.

I don't see this defeat as anything catastrophic for PSG. On the contrary, I think that after their loss in the Super Cup, they'll be more focused, perhaps even a little angry, against Rennes. So it will be a good chance to bet on PSG in their next match. And the odds for a PSG win are good, still hovering around 1.45, I think that's quite good. Even if someone doesn't place single bets at such low odds, I think it would be a good addition to parlay.

I agree that the odds for Paris Saint-Germain are too high. We would normally expect lower odds because Paris Saint-Germain is the strongest team in the French league. I don't expect them to struggle against Rennes. I admit it's a risky bet for a single match, but even a single match bet at odds of 1.45 sounds reasonable. When it comes to Paris Saint-Germain, I see their chances of winning as over 90% in France.

[martinom]

I think this victory shows that their success last year wasn't a fluke. Their ability to hold on well against Paris Saint-Germain despite playing with a man down for a long period shows they are stronger defensively. Lens fully deserved this win. After their excellent season last year, everyone was curious about their performance this year. They will also be in the Champions League, so how the squad will play together was a matter of curiosity. Ultimately, they beat the Champions League winners and showed they are now ready for the league.

Lens played well and deserved the victory, yes of course Paris Saint-Germain played with 10 men, but it was always a good victory for Lens and they can have their say in the league, they have a good defence.

They will also have a good experience in the Champions League.
It's always nice to beat the team that won the Champions League and it will give them more morale.

[bastisisca]

Their victory is a well-deserve because just as you said, lens actually perform very well last season to the extent that Paris Saint-Germain was facing a lot of challenges from them. Despite Paris Saint-Germain won the league they couldn't get it easily as for the previous ones, lens definitely deserve this Victory, immediately they receive red card I felt so bad for them, because I think that will be advantage to Paris Saint-Germain but unfortunately the manage to defend it. Lens performance was so incredible and even Paris Saint-Germain could not expected it. This Victory will give them more confidence in going for the title this time around against Paris Saint-Germain.

Lens is a team that knows how to provoke and seize the opportunity, and knows how to make good use of the counterattacks and holes left by the opposing defence.
It is a team that has shown that it can be very dangerous and determined to achieve its seasonal objectives including the best position in the standings.

[cande86]

Lens truly played impressively in that match, even though they were down to 10 men and had 32% possession, they still managed to beat PSG. But I still think PSG will be crowned Ligue 1 champions next season. Lens will likely be in a tight competition with PSG. I don't doubt their strategy, but when it comes to consistency, PSG will likely be the ones to maintain it, and that's what makes it more difficult for Lens to keep up with PSG throughout the season.

The team that won the Champions League, which is the strongest team in Europe at the moment, was beaten by a team that shouldn't pose a threat. However, if a team that manages to snatch a title even with ten players on the pitch, it means that it is a team that deserves respect and that should absolutely not be underestimated.

[verdinio]

With Dino Toppmoller as the new coach, Lens proved they can compete with PSG. This victory serves as a tremendous morale boost for them in maintaining the rivalry with PSG that has dominated Ligue 1 for years. It also ends PSG's four-year streak with the trophy.

PSG players should have had more freedom to increase the pressure and turn the game around once Lens were reduced to 10 men in the 39th minute. however, not a single one of them had managed to score.
Yeah, Lens deserved the trophy. They frustrated PSG, stayed solid at the back, and kept their composure playing with 10 men for most of the second half.

At some point, PSG needed to experience a defeat like this. Hopefully it stops Luis Enrique from underestimating other teams.

Looking at the French championship you can understand that Lens is a team that plays very offensively. It certainly has some gaps on a defensive level, but it is a team that attacks a lot, that tries a lot to control the ball and the simplest way to get to the goal, and very often it succeeds.
The match against Arsenal was completely different, i wouldn't compare them.

[Princess Leah]

Looking at the French championship you can understand that Lens is a team that plays very offensively. It certainly has some gaps on a defensive level, but it is a team that attacks a lot, that tries a lot to control the ball and the simplest way to get to the goal, and very often it succeeds.
The match against Arsenal was completely different, i wouldn't compare them.

It's good that PSG have seen their biggest threat before the season begins so they'll be careful when they meet again, what happend in that match is really suprising which is why people can't stop discussing about it but i trust Luis Enrique he's a coach i really believe in and I'm hopeful that he won't allow Lens defeat them when they meet again.

 As for Lens, the win would enable them start the new season with confidence, they’ll still respect PSG cause they're the defending champions of Europe and Ligue 1 but they're not going to be scared of meeting them again, that's one thing about defeating a champion.

 

[len01]

Paris Saint-Germain tried their best, but they couldn't defend their 5th consecutive Trophée des Champions title. Lens played better than expected, PSG maybe weren't prepared for such a great performance from Lens, and that's why PSG couldn't score a goal even against a team of 10, PSG were much better in terms of possession on the field, PSG were much better in terms of attack, but despite being better in all aspects, the end result of the match was a very unexpected 1-0 defeat for PSG. It was really unacceptable.

Would you accept it if I said that PSG’s poor performance seemed almost deliberate?

I previously mentioned here that PSG had disrupted Lens’ great opportunity to win the Ligue 1 title by requesting the match to be rescheduled. That caused Lens to lose their momentum, while PSG went on to win the UCL. My assumption regarding yesterday’s Super Cup final was that it was PSG’s way of making it up to Lens for the disappointment they had caused them previously.

[Jewan420]

Would you accept it if I said that PSG’s poor performance seemed almost deliberate?

I previously mentioned here that PSG had disrupted Lens’ great opportunity to win the Ligue 1 title by requesting the match to be rescheduled. That caused Lens to lose their momentum, while PSG went on to win the UCL. My assumption regarding yesterday’s Super Cup final was that it was PSG’s way of making it up to Lens for the disappointment they had caused them previously.

I also doubt whether PSG went into this match with the intention of winning or not? Their performance was very bad, important players like Dembele and Nuno Mendes were also put on the bench. Even though they were put on the field in the 59th minute of the match, their performance was very bad.

PSG was ahead in the match statistics, PSG was ahead in possession and attack, but they failed to score. Even though Lens was reduced to 10 men in the 39th minute, PSG could not seize that opportunity. Rather, their attacking line players were helpless against Lens' defense. Lens tasted the Trophée des Champions title with Florian Thauvin's only goal.

[Humblevirus]

It's good that PSG have seen their biggest threat before the season begins so they'll be careful when they meet again, what happend in that match is really suprising which is why people can't stop discussing about it but i trust Luis Enrique he's a coach i really believe in and I'm hopeful that he won't allow Lens defeat them when they meet again.

 As for Lens, the win would enable them start the new season with confidence, they’ll still respect PSG cause they're the defending champions of Europe and Ligue 1 but they're not going to be scared of meeting them again, that's one thing about defeating a champion.
 

What really surprised must in that match was not the cup, because I know it is possible for a team that finished second on the table to defeat the team that led the table and won the title. That has been happening in many leagues, and even in this league, I believe it has happened before.But the fact that Lens received a red card since the first half of the match and still managed to see out the game, while PSG were not able to equalize with the quality of their squad, really surprised me. I didn't expect a team like Lens to be on a red card since the first half and for PSG still not to be able to equalize with one goal. That means Lens are really strong, and it is possible they will be a threat to PSG again this season, judging from what they displayed in that French Super Cup match.The problem with Lens is that they don't sign enough players to strengthen their team, so they can have enough players for rotation. That is what made them so exhausted toward the end of last season, and they ended up losing some unexpected matches.

[Shineup]

I think that Paris Saint-Germain played a match convinced that they could bring home the result, greatly underestimating their rival team.
Lens, on the other hand, entered the field respecting Paris Saint-Germain and playing a level match as befits matches of this type, as they deserved and brought home the result.

Paris Saint-Germain tried their best, but they couldn't defend their 5th consecutive Trophée des Champions title. Lens played better than expected, PSG maybe weren't prepared for such a great performance from Lens, and that's why PSG couldn't score a goal even against a team of 10, PSG were much better in terms of possession on the field, PSG were much better in terms of attack, but despite being better in all aspects, the end result of the match was a very unexpected 1-0 defeat for PSG. It was really unacceptable.


This would have been PSG's 5th consecutive Trophée des Champions, after previously winning 8 consecutive Trophée des Champions titles, then losing to LOSCLille broke their streak, after which PSG won 4 consecutive Trophée des Champions titles again, and now they have their streak broken again by RC Lens, and this is RC Lens' first Trophée des Champions title.

The more reason why I still see that losing as nothing, despite the fact that Lens broke their winning streak, it doesn't still matter, because had it been Luis Enrique is really interested in that trophy Lens wouldn't have seen ball play, at least we've witnessed it so many times, I have said it before and I will still say it again, for any team in the French Ligue 1 to win a trophy there is because Paris Saint German is not interested on that trophy that season, this might sound funny but deep down it's the actual fact, if anyone doubt me, let's see how this season will go for them.

[Inwestour]

I also doubt whether PSG went into this match with the intention of winning or not? Their performance was very bad, important players like Dembele and Nuno Mendes were also put on the bench. Even though they were put on the field in the 59th minute of the match, their performance was very bad.

PSG was ahead in the match statistics, PSG was ahead in possession and attack, but they failed to score. Even though Lens was reduced to 10 men in the 39th minute, PSG could not seize that opportunity. Rather, their attacking line players were helpless against Lens' defense. Lens tasted the Trophée des Champions title with Florian Thauvin's only goal.

In my opinion, PSG didn't play poorly, but I'd say the opposite Lens played no worse than PSG. In fact, in some moments and relative to their chosen strategy, they may have even played better. Because Lens clearly chose a defensive strategy in this match, and their defense did an excellent job. And by the way, Lens also had a pretty good chance to score another goal, so Lens played well, which is why they managed to win. But then again, PSG also had chances to score in the second half, but Lens' defense was superb that day.