Nice V Lyon - Kicks off at 12:00 - Live on BT Sport 3
Nice had shock defeat last weekend to newly promoted Troyes. This wasn't just an off day with a bit of bad luck as their only previous defeat at Lorient was. Christophe Galtier's team struggled to cope with Troyes' quick passing game and went behind after just four minutes. Les Aiglons had more possession than their hosts and created chances but nothing clear cut. Their best chance came to substitute Amine Gouiri who's shot from outside the box at least worked the Goalkeeper. Les Nicois could have found themselves two down had their Keeper Walter Benitez not been more alert.
I wonder if Galtier will be tempted to start with Andy Delort and Gouiri up front rather than Delort and Kasper Dolberg. Dolberg gives Nice more of a physical presence up front but the movement and understanding between Delort and Gouiri has been outstanding at times this season. This is a big week for Nice as they are playing two of the more dangerous teams in the league. Firstly they have this game against an in form Lyon who are just below them in the table on goal difference only. Following that Nice will play 2nd placed Marseille on Wednesday in the rescheduled game that was abandoned earlier in the season due to crowd trouble. The match will be played at a a neutral venue, ironically the Stade De L'aube, Troyes' home ground, where Nice lost last weekend. Win both these games and Les Nicois will stamp their mark on the league as the closes rivals to PSG for the league. Lose both and they could drop several places. Nice have generally been very good this season. A solid defense and the ability to break with pace. Galtier is good at getting a reaction from his team after a poor performance. They'll need one here as this is a big test for them.
Lyon have had a great week. Firstly beating an in form Monaco side and then fighting back from two goals down to eventually win 4-3 at Sparta Prague. The game against Monaco turned when Leo Dubois was taken out in the area and Karl Toko Ekambi confidently dispatched the penalty for his second league of the season. Ekambi score two more later in the week at Prague. Lucas Paquetá has been inspirational all season for Lyon and showed his class against Monaco when from a corner he delivered an audacious reverse pass. The pass cut out several Monaco defenders for Jason Denayer to finish from close range. Paquetá only came on as a sub after playing for Brazil just a few days earlier. He is essential to Lyon's success this season and also scored at Prague.
Lyon's form has been impressive given that they are still without a recognised striker. Moussa Dembele and Islam Slimani are still injured. This is one of the biggest games of the weekend.
French Footy prediction: Nice 2 V Lyon 2
Reims V Troyes - Kicks off at 14:00
The Champagne Derby! Only two points separates these two teams. Stade De Reims are just one place above their local rivals from the Champagne region. Reims picked up another valuable point last week this time at Brest. Les Rouges et Blancs draw a lot of games but are doing much better than expected with their new Manager and young squad. Oscar Garcia has his team playing some attractive attacking football. They lie 15th in the table but are five points from the bottom three. Given they lost their best striker (Boulaye Dia) in the summer and never replaced him they are doing well. Their draw at Brest was a decent result given that they were without their young forward Hugo Ekitike who remains suspended for this game. The 21 year old forward can play up front or on the wing and has three goals and one assist this season. They will miss him again today. Reims had to rely on defender Wout Faes to score last week.
The 23 year old Belgian has played well this season and put his side in front heading in from a free kick.
Troyes got their second win of the season over Nice last weekend but it was the manner of the performance that will please Coach Laurent Battles so much. They played fast passing football that resulted in a fantastic goal just four minutes in. Renaud Ripart took the ball down deftly and played a lovely back heel in to the path of Giulian Biancone who crossed for Mama Baldé to sweep the ball in. That was Baldé's second goal of the season. ESTAC continued to play well and thought they'd gone 2-0 up through the lively Yoann Touzghar. The goal was ruled out, correctly, for a marginal offside but it came at the end of another lovely move. Touzghar had a good game and was a threat to Nice throughout the match.
More good news for Troyes was that veteran defender Adil Rami finally made his first appearance for the Club. The ex French International came on early in the first half and helped his team get a clean sheet and first home win of the season. A draw would be the most likely result here but I was so impressed with how Troyes played last week that I think they may nick it.
French Footy prediction: Reims 1 V Troyes 2
Lens V Metz - Kicks off at 14:00 - Live on BT Sport Extra 3
Lens remain second despite a very disappointing loss at Montpellier last week. Franck Haise's team have been in great form this season and very hard to beat but they were susceptible to Montpellier;s quick counter attacks. They were always in the game but couldn't finish any of the chances they created. It was just their second loss of the season. Franck Haise's side have attacking midfielder Gaël Kakuta back from injury for this game so it will be interesting to see if he starts. Kakuta was influential for Lens last season.
Les Sangs est Ors will be back in front of their own fans after playing their last two home games behind closed doors due to crowd trouble. They have no new injuries so I'd expect them to bounce back with a win over a struggling Metz side.
Metz remain on a solitary win this season and are struggling. They were beaten convincingly at home last week 3-0 to Rennes. Their only shots on target against Rennes were two long range efforts which shows how they are struggling to create chances. Les Grenats have problems at the other end of the pitch too with the worst defensive record in the league, 22 goals conceded. They have yet to keep a clean sheet in the league this season. Added to that they are missing two of their better players in defender Boubakar Kouyaté and striker Ibrahima Niane through injury. The only positive for them is that right back and top scorer (3 goals) Fabien Centonze is back for them today after injury kept him out last weekend.
Manager Frédéric Antonetti has a wealth of experience in Ligue 1 but he's possibly got the hardest job in the league at Metz this year. I think the misery will continue for them here too.
French Footy prediction: Lens 2 V Metz 0
Rennes V Strasbourg - Kicks off at 14:00
After a difficult start to the season Rennes are bang on form. They demolished Metz 3-0 last week with goals from Gaetan Laborde, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Martin Terrier. They then won at Mura 2-1 (Laborde and Guirassy) on Thursday and top their Europa Conference table. It has finally clicked for Bruno Génésio's team who have won their last four games and unbeaten in six. Gaetan Laborde has been one of the signings of the season (9 goals in all competitions and Sulemana looks to be a star of the future.
He took his goal brilliantly against Metz, nutmegging a defender before smashing it past the keeper. It's a shame his fellow winger Jeremy Doku is still out injured because one of them on each wing would be frightening.
Strasbourg had a huge win at home last week in a 5-1 thrashing of Saint-Étienne. All three of their strikers were on the score sheet and are each having good seasons. Kevin Gameiro has three goals, Habib Diallo four and Ludovic Ajorque four goals and five assists.
Those three could score goals in any team but I don't think Strasbourg always make the best of them and should look to be more attacking and create more chances for them. Les Coureur's problem remains consistency. They've had some good wins but have only won back to back once this season. I liked the way Julien Stéphan set up his team last week with Anthony Caci, Strasbourg's only recognised left back in the squad, playing in his position and Dimitri Lienard playing in midfield where he can influence the game. Lienard playing at left back just seems a waste to me.
French Footy prediction: Rennes 2 V Strasbourg 1
Lorient V Bordeaux - Kicks off at 1400
Lorient fell to their second and biggest defeat of the season last weekend losing 4-1 at Marseille. They had taken an early lead with a penalty dispatched by Armand Laurienté for his fourth goal of the season. They then struggled to cope with Marseille's attacking play. That result made them slump to twelth in the league but they are on of four teams on 14 points and a win here could take them as high as third if other results go their way. After Paris who are clear at the top by nine points the league is so tight this season. Unfortunately Laurienté is a doubt for this game with a back injury. That's a shame as you always feel Lorient have a chance in games with and Terem Moffi up front.
Moffi, who has two goals and two assists this season missed the game at Marseille through injury himself but should feature here. Les Merlus have no other injury concerns or suspensions and will be hoping to get a result here
Bordeaux got their fifth draw of the season at home to Nantes last weekend. Once again they had to rely on striker Hwang Ui-Jo to earn them a point The South Korean put his struggling side 1-0 with his fourth goal of the season. Bordeaux could not keep their lead though and the match finished 1-1.
The worry for Manager Vladimir Petković is that Hwang's goal was his teams only shot on target throughout the game. Will we finally see young English Striker Josh Maja make an appearance for Les Girondins today? Maja has not yet played this season due to injury but may finally feature. God knows Bordeaux need some goals from elsewhere than Hwang. Bordeaux are 17th in the table just two points off the bottom three.
French Footy prediction: Lorient 1 V Bordeaux 1
Monaco V Montpellier - Kicks off at 16:00 - Live on BT Sport 3
Monaco had been on a good little run, unbeaten in six games and three league wins on the trot. They came unstuck last weekend however against a good Lyon team. They were outplayed for large parts of the game and didn't make the most of the few chances they had. Niko Kovač's team did redeem themselves somewhat on Thursday night winning 2-1 at PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League. The influential Aurélien Tchouaméni had missed the Lyon game but was back for the game in Holland. The midfielder is only 21 but has a huge influence on this team and is attracting a lot of attention from clubs around Europe.
They have a tough game here but really need to win if they want to keep their season going well. Les Monegasques had such a poor start to the season that they can't afford to drop points at home. They will still be without Russian winger Aleksandr Golovin who is suffering with a groin injury.
Montpellier have been very good to watch this season without winning a lot of games. They got their third win of the season last weekend at home to a very good Lens team. That was their first win in five games and La Paillade showed how good they can be on the front foot. There might have taken the lead earlier if striker Valère Germain was a bit more clinical in his finishing. The 31 year old has been a good signing. He's industrious , has good movement and seems to quickly have developed an understanding with his attacking midfield of Mavididi, Savanier and Mollet. Germain has never been a prolific finisher though which might cost Montpellier points this season. The midfield three is what makes Montpellier tick though and again they showed their worth against Lens. Florent Mollet won the ball deep in his own half, found Savanier who made a long slide rule pass for Mavididi to run on to and score. That was the young Englishman's third goal of the season.
It is Captain Téji Savanier though who runs the show for Olivier Dall'Oglio's team. He's quick, mobile and has a great range of passing. He has two goals and four assists and is one of the Ligue 1 players of the season so far. Brazilian defender Matheus Thuler remains unavailable for Montpellier with a thigh injury whilst midfielder Jordan Ferri is suspended following a late red card against Lens. A point wouldn't be a bad result here for Montpellier.
French Footy prediction: Monaco 2 V Montpellier 1
Marseille V PSG - Kicks off at 1945 - Live on BT Sport 2
Here we go. First against third. The biggest rivalry in French Football and one of the fiercest in World Football. There will be no PSG fans at the game to avoid crowd trouble but the atmosphere from the home fans will be intense. Both are coming off important wins. Marseille with a 4-1 demolition of a good Lorient side and Paris with a late 2-1 win over a stubborn Angers. PSG had been without some of their South American stars for that game, most notably Neymar Jr and Messi. Neymar was a doubt for this one with a groin injury it looks likes he's recovered and he and Messi should start. Marseille will have winger Cengiz Ünder back for this one after his recent suspension and have no injury or suspension worries. If the Parisians win this one then the League title race is as good as over. If Marseille can at least take a point and get a result against Nice on Wednesday they'll at least remain in the hunt. L'OM striker Arkadiusz Milik scored his first goal of the season against Lorient last week after missing a lot of games through injury. It will be interesting to see if Jorge Sampaoli starts with him. Both teams had decent results in Europe this week, Les Marseillais with a valuable point at Lazio in the Europa League (0-0) and Paris with a Champions League win over RB Leipzig. There's just no need to hype this one. Two attacking teams with lots of talent but both with weaknesses at the back. There will surely be goals and drama in this one. There usually is. Marseille must keep their emotions and heads in check if they want to get a result here.
French Footy prediction: Marseille 2 V PSG 2 (and quite likely a sending off)
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