It's been a long time coming, but Ligue 1's full 38-game season is finally here. French football fans got a taste with the French Super Cup last week, which was contested between PSG and Rennes over in China, but now the real action begins this Friday with Monaco locking horns with Lyon.
Team news: Who's missing out on opening day?
It's still early, so injuries haven't started to take their toll just yet. Unfortunately, however, there are some players who already are carrying problems either from last season or from this summer and thus will not be able to feature for their squads on matchday one.
Here are some of the notable players who could be missing out for their respective teams on matchday one:
- Monaco: Danijel Subasic (Hamstring Injury); Stevan Jovetic (Cruciate Ligament Rupture)
- PSG: Neymar (Suspension due to conduct); Ander Herrera (Calf Injury); Presnel Kimpembe (Groin injury)
- Lille: Jonathan Bamba (Ankle injury)
- Montpellier: Téji Savanier (Knee problem)
- Reims: Arbër Zeneli (Cruciate Ligament Rupture)
Talking points: Who said what this week?
Of course, the future of Neymar at the Parc des Princes continues to dominate headlines, and with his suspension from the squad, it's created plenty of waves ahead of the upcoming season.
Lyon's president has admitted that the Brazilian's departure would be "embarrassing for Ligue 1's [image]", before moving on to discuss his hopes for Lyon being a force to be reckoned with in the not too distant future.
Jean-Michel Aulas also added that "The goal is to get closer to PSG. But the first year will be the hardest. You have to be patient. It is a project of three to five years...The deadline of 2022, given the budget gap between the two clubs, must be reasonable".
Certainly, Ligue 1 would take a major hit with Neymar's departure, especially considering how much money they did spend on him, but they still do have young star - and World Cup winner - Kylian Mbappe in their ranks, who's certainly eager to shoulder the responsibilities of carrying PSG this season as they look to try to make waves in Europe in the Champions League.
Stats and facts: What's at stake ahead of matchday one?
- PSG are featuring in Ligue 1 for the 46th straight time. No team have bettered this record to date.
- Marseille haven't lost to Reims on home turf since October 2013.
- Lyon traditionally start off strong on MD 1 - they are unbeaten in their last 15 opening games.
- Dijon are hoping to pick up a first ever Ligue 1 home victory against Saint-Etienne. So far, they've played four and lost four times against this opponent.
- If you're into betting - Lille vs Nantes is surprisingly one of the most balanced games out there. No joke. This match is evenly split down the middle, with exactly 22 wins a piece for each side (18 draws) and 62 goals scored for Lille and Nantes. Who will break the deadlock this weekend??
Ligue 1 Matchday one listings
Here's all the games taking place on matchday one, starting from Friday, August 9th:
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