French Soccer League Predictions and Discussion Thread (Ligue 1)

[len01]

But if we talk about pure mathematics, then I would say that there is at least Bayern, which has an equal chance with PSG, + a large group of clubs that can punish any opponent in two games. So, even though PSG are the favorites, their chances of winning another Champions League title are probably somewhere around 20%.

Yep, I can understand that because, after all, Bayern and the other clubs have a track record that cannot be ignored. But I still clearly remember how PSG was hardly considered a serious contender for the UCL title at that time, yet they ended up making a more consistent run. On top of that, I have a strong reason to still believe PSG can win the UCL because they want to achieve the same kind of success as Real Madrid. Hopefully, my hopes turn out to be right. 

[KTChampions]

During the French championship, when Paris Saint-Germain slips up, all the other teams on the verge of overtaking the La Liga dominator are ready to take to the field, giving it their all to try and extend their lead. This year, with Paris Saint-Germain's tenacious yet strange start, a few teams have attempted to extend their lead.

I think it's the other way around: there are no teams in Ligue 1 capable of capitalizing on PSG's mistakes. There is literally not a single team that has not lost points twice (except Monaco, which lost points once) - this is ridiculous considering that only 5 rounds have been played. And we are talking about the competitors' "capabilities" without even facing PSG directly. PSG has dropped points three times and has just 8 points after five rounds, but no one would be surprised if they were in sole possession of first place after the next three rounds.

[Agbe]

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During the French championship, when Paris Saint-Germain slips up, all the other teams on the verge of overtaking the La Liga dominator are ready to take to the field, giving it their all to try and extend their lead. This year, with Paris Saint-Germain's tenacious yet strange start, a few teams have attempted to extend their lead.

You mean Ligue 1, and not La Liga because La Liga is actually for the Spanish league. However from what we have seen so far when it comes to this league PSG is the only team that dominates this league because of her way that they has invested into the growth and development of their teams. Am sorry to say , when it comes to the French Ligue 1 other teams could be seen as lazy because they have not done enough to challenge PSG for the league title. When ever people talk about how PSG has dominated this league the question that, I ask is how much are the other teams spending in strengthening their teams each season so that they can remain competitive with the likes of PSG when it comes to the Ligue 1.

Even with the current state of PSG were they have been dropping points ever since the start of this new season. PSG is going to win the league title because we know that other teams are not consistent with their results when it matter the most, in the deciding part of the season.

[HyperCodexV]

I think everyone shares similar views. The French league is a long one, and although Monaco looks good for now, I don't believe they will maintain this level of performance until the end of the season. They achieved a magnificent victory against PSG, yet they drew with Strasbourg; I would have expected them to beat Strasbourg as well. Still, I want to remain hopeful, and I hope we might see a new champion this year.

During the French championship, when Paris Saint-Germain slips up, all the other teams on the verge of overtaking the La Liga dominator are ready to take to the field, giving it their all to try and extend their lead. This year, with Paris Saint-Germain's tenacious yet strange start, a few teams have attempted to extend their lead.

I think Monaco are really fighting to genuinely win and lift this trophy this season but they can't afford to be dropping cheap points against teams like Strasbourg because that will just destroy any dream they have of it. I guess at this point they are worth the hypes they get in the media since they are the boss at the top of the table for now. They should just make sure to accumulate points now that they have the opportunity because PSG always finds a way back to the top so they should avoid drawing matches they are supposed to win.

[Tonimez]

I think everyone shares similar views. The French league is a long one, and although Monaco looks good for now, I don't believe they will maintain this level of performance until the end of the season. They achieved a magnificent victory against PSG, yet they drew with Strasbourg; I would have expected them to beat Strasbourg as well. Still, I want to remain hopeful, and I hope we might see a new champion this year.

During the French championship, when Paris Saint-Germain slips up, all the other teams on the verge of overtaking the La Liga dominator are ready to take to the field, giving it their all to try and extend their lead. This year, with Paris Saint-Germain's tenacious yet strange start, a few teams have attempted to extend their lead.

I think Monaco are really fighting to genuinely win and lift this trophy this season but they can't afford to be dropping cheap points against teams like Strasbourg because that will just destroy any dream they have of it. I guess at this point they are worth the hypes they get in the media since they are the boss at the top of the table for now. They should just make sure to accumulate points now that they have the opportunity because PSG always finds a way back to the top so they should avoid drawing matches they are supposed to win.

You see, Monaco is only going to fight their fight and stay clear but for the end of the season results, it's going to be very difficult from what we're seeing now. As a team who's willing to fight for the title, I didn't expect them to drop points against Strasbourg at least, not in this early stage. Monaco has to be very focused and not get distracted at all because if they don't, it will be so sudden for them when they leave the top of the table. I wish that this league can become more competitive and stop being a one champion league but we already know how last season's Lens' lead ended.

PSG is not a team to contend with but we still hope that anything can happen in football but extra work needs to be put in that regards to pick as more points as possible now before the team becomes weak.

[dollyamo]

Do you really believe a team other than Paris Saint-Germain will win the title in France, my friend? Of course, the Champions League is more important and a higher priority for Paris Saint-Germain, but we shouldn't forget that there are hardly any other contenders for the championship in France besides PSG. I certainly acknowledge that they got off to a poor start in the league, but I think they will narrow the points gap in the remaining matches and cruise toward the title more comfortably as the season progresses.

But in fact, we won't know how things will go until July of next year.
The only thing we can evaluate are the hypotheses we make, namely a Paris Saint-Germain team that will likely give something extra in the Champions League while still trying not to neglect the league too much.

[giorgione]

I agree that PSG will focus more on Champions League matches, because defending the Champions League title is far more important than winning yet another Ligue 1 title. And if they fail to win Ligue 1 but manage to defend their Champions League title, I don't think anyone will even pay attention to their standing in the domestic league.

From an outside perspective, i also believe they give the Champions League a higher priority, considering that the league is important, but not that important, given all the victories they've achieved over the years. i think the Champions League is a trophy they see as something far more important.

[bastisisca]

Monaco stopped them in one of those seasons and that was when Mbappe was still a Monaco player. That season, Monaco was a team on a different level considering the teams budget as to other top teams across Europe, they outplayed and won Guardiola's Manchester City team that season to eliminate them from the champions league. I think it was the next season that these big clubs came to buy most of their star players and that was how Monaco crashed. I will also like a new team to win the French league as well, PSG has been dominating since that time again, a new face will be welcomed as champions, a new team should emerge and snatch the trophy away from them since they have started the season poorly.

Monaco, however, has a stable base to build on. They're a team that's always tough to challenge and can always throw up surprises. And given how they've started the year, they seem determined to do well. But we know that intentions don't matter in big games.
Just look at their statistics to confirm what i say.

[m4r1o]

PSG are clearly the best in the French League but I'm anticipating more drama before they begin their journey back to the top. The French championship has been dominated by them consistently and a change in dominance will be nice to have this season. I wish AS Monaco had the strength to hold on to their position till the end of season but unfortunately I don't think they have what it takes even with PSG's inconsistency.  

Luis Enrique will certainly also be forced to vary the players on the pitch between the Champions League, French Cups and the league and if the rival French teams are smart they will use those matches in which the quality tends to drop to hit hard and try to get as many points as possible.

[Alonso_]

PSG players are often called part-time players. Because they have the ones for the UEFEA Champions League and the one for their domestic tournament and Ligue One. Luis Enrique is definitely cooking something with this particular PSG this season, we noticed how far they've gone and becoming more competitive this season. PSG have not been their best this season but it's nothing to worry about because they will surely bounce back in the mid season since that's how they got their strength.

PSG squad can not be compare with other Squad, they're experienced, they have the players and what it takes to win trophies but major ones.  They're not sleeping on the pitch and know when to deliver masterclass in big games.  Luis Enrique no longer coaches them effectively because he believes the players knows exactly what to do.

When you have so many competitions to play in, and the number of players, even if plentiful, is still limited, you have to consider your priorities. In this case, I believe the Champions League remains the number one objective for the French club, followed by the league and the Coupe de France.

Paris-Saint-German wouldn’t be winning the Champions League this season, whatever their priorities are’ if it’s the Champions League then they will end up trophyless if they don’t focus on the French League One they will still end up trophyless, I don’t see how they will win the Champions League straight 3 times, Real Madrid did it but I don’t see Paris-Saint-German winning again this season.

Big teams always have more competition to play, but Paris-Saint-German are always given a different treatment of postponing games intentionally by the French League Association whoever is responsible for doing all that for them, they are always resting in the wake of a knockout match in the Champions League, I don’t see that happening with a Premier League team or a Spanish La Liga team, every team is supposed to respect their fixtures not going for an easy way to have advantage over your opponents.

[changaa]

It's hard to argue with that. Enrique is gearing the entire team up for the Champions League knockout stage, and the way they are playing right now has little bearing on their potential peak shape. But if we talk about pure mathematics, then I would say that there is at least Bayern, which has an equal chance with PSG, + a large group of clubs that can punish any opponent in two games. So, even though PSG are the favorites, their chances of winning another Champions League title are probably somewhere around 20%.

This year, i believe Bayern Munich and Barcelona have the best chance of winning the Champions League. However, i always see the other teams as a bit hesitant and having difficulty dealing with the crucial pressure in those matches, especially when you can't handle it.

[kennycryptoitalia]

When it comes to Paris Saint Germain, we shouldn't have headache because at the end of the season, they will be crown champions of Ligue One with stellar performance. This is the plan of Luis Enrique, they're always having a slow start when season kick off. PSG have build a team that will be having consecutive winnings and knowing how to pull up with outstanding performances and having the available players.

The potential of this team is always better, in the French championship they are clearly the best, and the standings do not do justice to this team which is really strong, and everyone knows it in the French championship, now they just have to wait for the individual performances of the players who are really strong.

It's almost sad to support a team you know will always win simply because it has the most financial resources and therefore the ability to acquire high-quality players, while other clubs can only sit back and watch. It becomes normal for that club to build a strong squad to compete.

[KTChampions]

But if we talk about pure mathematics, then I would say that there is at least Bayern, which has an equal chance with PSG, + a large group of clubs that can punish any opponent in two games. So, even though PSG are the favorites, their chances of winning another Champions League title are probably somewhere around 20%.

Yep, I can understand that because, after all, Bayern and the other clubs have a track record that cannot be ignored. But I still clearly remember how PSG was hardly considered a serious contender for the UCL title at that time, yet they ended up making a more consistent run. On top of that, I have a strong reason to still believe PSG can win the UCL because they want to achieve the same kind of success as Real Madrid. Hopefully, my hopes turn out to be right.  

Do you want PSG to win the Champions League for the third time in a row?  
Well... I like this club now that they got rid of the lazy old-timers with star fever and built a versatile hard working team. But that’s purely from a sporting perspective. Otherwise, I would like them to be scrutinized (and finally dealt with) in the same way the Premier League is currently dealing with City. But Ligue 1 is not capable of this, last season they even changed the entire calendar for PSG, and it is clear who is in whose pocket.

[Agbe]

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Do you want PSG to win the Champions League for the third time in a row?  
Well... I like this club now that they got rid of the lazy old-timers with star fever and built a versatile hard working team. But that’s purely from a sporting perspective. Otherwise, I would like them to be scrutinized (and finally dealt with) in the same way the Premier League is currently dealing with City. But Ligue 1 is not capable of this, last season they even changed the entire calendar for PSG, and it is clear who is in whose pocket.

What do you expect that,Ligue 1 should do when you mentioned that last season that, the entire league calendar was changed just to favour PSG because of their champion's league engagement. I don't see anything wrong with that and that is likely to repeat this season too the reason is that PSG is the biggest and only prospects that the French league has when it comes to Europe. Just imagine the French league without a team like PSG by now they most have lost some of their qualification places, in terms of the numbers of teams that can qualify for Europe.

Whether you say ligue 1 has been pocketed by PSG or not the thing is , in the current situation that PSG finds themselves it's important that the French league management body should give them the best of support. Talking about PSG wining the champion's league three times in a row , I am I support of it. And from the look of things there is high probability that they are going to win the champion's league again this season, which will make them equals Madrid record of three straight successive champion's league win.

[cande86]

I think this year's French League is more balanced and enjoyable than ever before. Seasons dominated by PSG were quite boring, but now they're behind in the title race and every team is really fighting. We can see that the quality of the league has increased. Besides, when a league is dominated by one team, watching the matches isn't very enjoyable. Trying to figure out who's second in a race where the champion is already decided isn't a very pleasant experience

Let's just say that saying the French league is entertaining simply because Paris Saint-Germain haven't gotten off to the best start isn't entirely accurate. Perhaps we could say it's more interesting to watch because of this shaky start to the season, which gives opponents the chance to pull away.

[JiiBs]

I think this year's French League is more balanced and enjoyable than ever before. Seasons dominated by PSG were quite boring, but now they're behind in the title race and every team is really fighting.

Let's just say that saying the French league is entertaining simply because Paris Saint-Germain haven't gotten off to the best start isn't entirely accurate. Perhaps we could say it's more interesting to watch because of this shaky start to the season, which gives opponents the chance to pull away.

I tend to agree more with xzone. The game is supposed to have some level of unpredictability and it gets even worst for gamblers as, certain fixtures due to the predictable nature of last season, given PSG’s dominance always comes with odds that has no significance gambling wise, making bets not worth the effort. That’s how boring a one team dominated league can be.

In the French league, after mentioning PSG, no other name really comes to mind to be very striking but, that hasn’t being the case this season. Though, most of us don’t expect things not to revert to default in the coming weeks.

[banana33]

Why do you seem so doubtful about PSG winning the UCL? I would like to hear your explanation because I am curious.

As for me, for now, I do not see any reason to doubt PSG in either the UCL or domestic competitions. Even if PSG are in the top 10 or even lower in the domestic league, they eventually work their way up to the top as the season progresses. This is not the first time PSG have gone through this.

And in the UCL, PSG were also doubted in the previous two seasons, but look at what Enrique's team managed to achieve. So, for me, doubting PSG at this point does not make much sense.

Because there are many other teams who want to compete for the same reason, like Bayern Munich, who, frankly, i would see as the favorites if they were to face Paris Saint-Germain again.
Teams like Barcelona, who are currently perhaps the strongest team in all the leagues, due to their added quality, and other teams, like the English teams, who don't want to have the title snatched from under their noses again.

[Callido]

This year, i believe Bayern Munich and Barcelona have the best chance of winning the Champions League. However, i always see the other teams as a bit hesitant and having difficulty dealing with the crucial pressure in those matches, especially when you can't handle it.

Barcelona has been one of my favorites to win the Champions League, no team, home or away, has a more stable performance than Barcelona, their level of consistency, teamwork, and individual quality are the qualities of a club that wants to dominate their league and win the Champions League. For the past two seasons, PSG has been that club, i sense a change of power this season, Barcelona are becoming the favorites.

[len01]

Do you want PSG to win the Champions League for the third time in a row?  

Come on, mate, you surely know which team is my actual favorite. But the thing is, this is about the money I’ve got riding on it. So, honestly, I’m just hoping my bet wins. 

Well... I like this club now that they got rid of the lazy old-timers with star fever and built a versatile hard working team. But that’s purely from a sporting perspective. Otherwise, I would like them to be scrutinized (and finally dealt with) in the same way the Premier League is currently dealing with City. But Ligue 1 is not capable of this, last season they even changed the entire calendar for PSG, and it is clear who is in whose pocket.

The reason might be that there are very wealthy investors behind PSG. That is why PSG is not scrutinized. 

I don't see anything wrong with that and that is likely to repeat this season too the reason is that PSG is the biggest and only prospects that the French league has when it comes to Europe. Just imagine the French league without a team like PSG by now they most have lost some of their qualification places, in terms of the numbers of teams that can qualify for Europe.

So, you don't consider injustice to be a wrong?

If PSG is indeed Ligue 1's biggest asset, they shouldn't act unfairly. Just look at the impact this has on a league that is constantly dismissed as a farmers' league. What truly disappoints me is that Lens was within striking distance of the title last season, but the rescheduling of PSG's matches ruined everything.

[Davidloki]

I think this year's French League is more balanced and enjoyable than ever before. Seasons dominated by PSG were quite boring, but now they're behind in the title race and every team is really fighting. We can see that the quality of the league has increased. Besides, when a league is dominated by one team, watching the matches isn't very enjoyable. Trying to figure out who's second in a race where the champion is already decided isn't a very pleasant experience

Let's just say that saying the French league is entertaining simply because Paris Saint-Germain haven't gotten off to the best start isn't entirely accurate. Perhaps we could say it's more interesting to watch because of this shaky start to the season, which gives opponents the chance to pull away.

It's always boring to see the same team win the French league over and over again, this season might not be any different but we could see that other teams are competing better this season compared to last season. Paris Saint German start to this season was not what we all expected, coupled with the fact that they were the winners of the last Champions league which should give them a higher ground to win the league this season.

Monaco are having the best moments, but how long can this team remain top position?