The UEFA Champions League stole the headlines during the midweek, but with the weekend upon us, the focus shifts back to Europe's top domestic championships, with Ligue 1 being one of those competitions. Matchweek 7 in the French top-flight is upon us, and just like in previous weeks, the action gets underway as early as Friday.
Lens, who are currently third in the table, kick things off, welcoming Troyes in the earliest match-up of this latest round. However, the majority of games will be played during the weekend, with only two taking place on Saturday, including defending champions PSG.
The remaining seven fixtures are scheduled for Sunday, with one upcoming game in particular making it onto the list of must-watch matches this round. Here's everything you need to know about Matchweek 7 in Ligue 1.
League standings ahead of Matchweek 7 in Ligue 1
| Pos. | Squadra | PG | V | P | S | GF | GS | DR | Pt | Forma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 31 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 76 | 29 | +47 | 70 | PVVPV | |
| 2 | Monaco | 32 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 62 | 42 | +20 | 61 | VSVVV | |
| 3 | Brest | 32 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 49 | 33 | +16 | 57 | PVSSV | |
| 4 | Lille | 31 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 45 | 27 | +18 | 55 | VSVVV | |
| 5 | Nice | 31 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 36 | 25 | +11 | 51 | VPVPS | |
| 6 | Lens | 32 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 42 | 34 | +8 | 49 | VSVSP | |
| 7 | Rennes | 32 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 51 | 43 | +8 | 45 | VSVSS | |
| 8 | Olympique Marseille | 31 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 47 | 38 | +9 | 44 | VPPSS | |
| 9 | Olympique Lyonnais | 31 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 42 | 51 | -9 | 44 | VSVVP | |
| 10 | Montpellier | 32 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 41 | 44 | -3 | 40 | VPVPV | |
| 11 | Toulouse | 32 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 39 | 42 | -3 | 40 | SVPVP | |
| 12 | Reims | 31 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 38 | 45 | -7 | 40 | SSSPP | |
| 13 | Strasbourg | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 35 | 47 | -12 | 36 | SSSVP | |
| 14 | Nantes | 32 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 29 | 49 | -20 | 33 | PPSVS | |
| 15 | Le Havre | 32 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 33 | 42 | -9 | 32 | VPSSP | |
| 16 | Metz | 32 | 8 | 5 | 19 | 34 | 54 | -20 | 29 | SSVVS | |
| 17 | Lorient | 32 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 37 | 63 | -26 | 26 | SSSSS | |
| 18 | Clermont | 32 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 26 | 54 | -28 | 25 | SVSPP |
Top games to watch in Matchweek 7 in Ligue 1
PSG vs Brest
While PSG do not kick off this round, the defending champions are the first to take to the pitch on Saturday, with the Paris giants set to lock horns with Brest in the 11 a.m. ET slot. Galtier's men enter this clash on the back of their entertaining UEFA Champions League showdown with Juventus, with Kylian Mbappe inspiring his side to victory. Much was made about the Frenchman's failure to set up Neymar for a tap-in during the second half, but the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner scored both goals en route to a 2-1 triumph. Additionally, while Les Parisiens are one of three unbeaten teams this season, the goal is not to avoid defeat. Instead, PSG will be keen on adding to the five victories they have already secured.
And sadly for the visitors, the odds don't stack in their favor. While the season is early, Brest already find themselves in the relegation zone – alongside Strasbourg, Angers, and Ajaccio. With only one win out of six, it's hard not to see why they are in this predicament. That sole victory came in Matchweek 3, and since then, there have been a few confidence-rocking results, including the 7-0 loss to Montpellier, which Brest will not want to repeat at the Parc des Princes.
Marseille vs Lille
Marseille are another team yet to lose a game in Ligue 1 this season, but the French giants will see this run come under heavy danger this weekend when they host Lille. Les Phocéens, who are currently second in the table, just as they were at the end of last season, head into this tie on the back of their recent UEFA Champions League showdown with Tottenham. Despite an impressive first half display, Igor Tudor's men went on to lose 2-0 in north London , with Chancel Mangulu Mbemba's sending off playing a key role in that result. However, domestically, Guendouzi and Co. have been near impeccable, winning all but one of their opening six games, with that sole slip-up being a draw away to Brest.
Lille, meanwhile, have lost twice this season already. First came the 7-1 thrashing at home to PSG, with a 2-1 loss at home to Nice taking place just over a week later. As a result, Paulo Fonseca's men find themselves sixth in the table, with a six-point gap sitting between the visitors and the hosts. The French heavyweights missed out on European football and will not look to repeat this misstep, hence the need to secure positive results against their rivals early on in the campaign.
Monaco vs Lyon
Two beloved Ligue 1 sides face off in the final game on our list as Monaco prepare to host Lyon this Sunday. Unlike the visitors, Philippe Clement's side have European football this season and will be in action in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, just days before this highly-anticipated French top-flight affair. Domestically, the home side have won two times in six outings but have also suffered two defeats, thus sitting in the 10th spot leading up to this encounter. In fact, Monaco have won only once in their last four Ligue 1 ties, losing two and drawing two, though one of those stalemates was an impressive 1-1 draw away to PSG.
As for Lyon, they boast five more points than their rivals and thus sit fourth in the table, winning four out of their six games. As mentioned earlier, the visitors do not have European football to contend with and will thus enter this fixture with more rest in their tank. However, Les Gones, stumbled in their most recent tie, losing 3-1 away to Lorient and will thus need to regroup for this weekend.
Who's out for Matchweek 7 in Ligue 1?
PSG: Timothee Pembele
Marseille: Cedric Bakambu, Isaak Toure, Bamba Dieng, and Chancel Mbemba
Monaco: Myron Boadu and Kevin Volland
Nice: No absentees
Lyon: Julian Pollersback
Lille: No absentees
Rennes: Warmed Omari, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Amine Gouiri
Lens: Wuilker Farinez, Wesley Said, Adrien Louveau, Deiver Machado, and Kevin Danso
