Make no bones about it, this season's Ligue 1 title race is by far the most entertaining fans have seen in quite some time.
Four teams - yes, that's right, four - are all now in contention to win it. For a while, it was really three, but Monaco have forced their way into the conversation after suddenly climbing the table in recent months, and now, reigning champs PSG find themselves having to battle not just one, or two, but three challengers for their league crown. And that's all while hoping to finally end their long, long wait to finally earn some respect as a recognized contender on the European stage.
Let's look at what happened over this weekend's round of fixtures.
Top five teams in Ligue 1 up to April 5
The title race is really heating up! Here's how the top four look in Ligue 1, with Lens in a distant fifth:
Who are the top three scorers in Ligue 1?
A brace for Ben Yedder has helped him move up the charts in the Ligue 1 top scorer's race, but Mbappe, despite failing to score this past weekend, still holds a comfortable lead
Top Ligue 1 headlines
Neymar's meltdown: Considering he's been on the sidelines for quite some time, Neymar has had to see Moise Kean force his way into the starting XI and become the team's second highest goal-scorer after Kylian Mbappe. However, Kean himself is now out injured and thus Neymar, now recovered, can reclaim his spot alongside Mbappe in Mauricio Pochettino's star-studded attack.
However, Neymar's return didn't go as he, nor his fans, would have wanted, as he received two yellow cards in the second half which resulted in him being sent off. PSG ultimately lost the match, albeit they conceded the goal well before Neymar's dismissal - but it's clear his frustrations had been boiling over throughout the match.
Jonathan David's heroics: On the opposite end of the pitch, another player and set of fans were celebrating. Canadian youngster Jonathan David's goal was enough to give Lille all three points and potentially set Les Dogues up for their first Ligue 1 title since 2011. More important, Lille hadn't beaten PSG in Paris since, well, 1996. To put things in a bit of perspective, David was born in 2000. But will this be enough to help them end PSG's reign as kings of French football? As the French say...On verra...
Top Ligue 1 matches: April 9-11, 2021
Metz vs Lille: So, after finally ending their hoodoo in Paris, Lille are seemingly in the ascendancy. However, will they be able to take advantage? Les Dogues are three points clear and with no other competitions to clog their schedules, Christophe Galtier's men can solely focus on the Ligue 1 title race. Metz are in poor form at the moment - they've lost three of their last four, including a heavy 4-0 defeat to Monaco - but they did manage to beat Lyon in January, so who knows what kind of mood they'll be in when Lille come to town this weekend?
Strasbourg vs PSG: Strasbourg have proven to be a nuisance for PSG in the past, but Les Parisiens will need to get this one right if they don't want Lille to start pulling away. However, Pochettino will also have to manage his squad well. They will head to their opponents' home ground having had to play Bayern in the UCL and that will certainly take a toll on the team; in addition, Neymar is now banned for this one, while Moise Kean, who had started to find his groove, may not be fit, either.
Monaco vs Dijon: After absolutely crushing Metz to make it back to back wins and stay in the hunt not just for a top four spot but also even the Ligue 1 title, Monaco have certainly received a potential free three points by welcoming basement boys Dijon. The visitors have won just twice all season, have earned a measly 15 points and have lost all five of their last quintet of games. So, for all intents and purposes, this should be a straight-forward win for Les Rouges et Blancs, who certainly have looked like title contenders since 2021 rolled around.
Lyon vs Angers: Lyon have seen their form take a hit recently. First, there was the 4-2 loss to PSG just prior to the international break, and then, Les Gones suffered a wobble as they were held to a draw with Lens. They're not out of the running - not by a long shot - but will obviously need to get back to winning ways ASAP, especially with Lille now five points clear. Can they do that against an Angers side who are winless in their past three?
Make sure you don't miss out on these key games and stay on top of all the action by checking out our bespoke Ligue 1 match page.
