GFFN editor-in-chief Luke Entwistle, and sub-editors Raphaël Jucobin and Bastien Cheval face off in our Ligue 1 predictions competition. This season, GFFN will also be hosting guests. Earlier this season, The Athletic’s Alex Barker participated and became the first name on our guest leaderboard, and he has since been joined by Julien Laurens. It’s three points for a correct score, two points for a correct score difference, and one point for a correct result. Who will come out on top at the end of the season?
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 forLes 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
GFFN | Luke Entwistle