The 2021-22 Ligue 1 season has kept fans on the edge of their seats since the first weekend of action, and things could escalate to unsuspected heights this weekend, as the French top-flight could welcome its most ilustrious guest: Lionel Messi.
With the Argentine on the verge of making his debut with the French capital side, all eyes will be set on PSG's game against Brest. Nevertheless, there will be other matches and facts to keep in mind aside from Les Parisiens' clash.
Without further ado, here's how things will go down this week in the top football category in France.
Ligue 1 standings after Matchday 2
The French top-flight has two surprising leaders after two matchdays: Angers and Clermont. Both teams have won both their games, and on top of that, they've done so without conceding. PSG is third with the same amount of points, but their defensive display has been subpar compared to the one by Angers and Clermont, which means that no matter how many goals they have scored, Pochettino's men will have to improve in defense to claim the top spot all for them. Nice and Nantes, with four points each, complete the top five teams in the French league.
Top games to watch
Brest vs PSG - To talk about this match, we would only need three words: Lionel Messi's debut. Unfortunately, the Argentine will not be available until next week, which means that the French capital side could see his debut against Reims. The Pirates are still looking for their first win of the season after two draws, but given that Pochettino's team could face this clash with Mbappé, Ángel Di María, Mauro Icardi, and with some debutants such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, the thought of beating the blue and red side seems highly unlikely.
Monaco vs Lens - The red and white side has not been able to win any of their two games, and Niko Kovac's mens really need to step things up if they want to honor those who thought of them as title contenders. On the other side of the pitch will be Lens, a team that will also be looking for their first win of the season after two draws. Hence, this game will feature two teams in need of a win, which may open up all goalscoring options.
Saint-Étienne vs Lille: The defending champions have struggled to replicate last year's form, and being beaten by Nice at home with a four-nil score speaks volumes on how much they need to improve. Les Dogues will now face Saint-Étienne, who are also yet to win their first game of the season and get to this clash in better form than their rivals after two draws, the last one of them against Lorient.
Ligue 1 - Who's in and who's out for Matchday 3
Lille - Injured: Orestis Karnezis, Renato Sanches. Doubtful: Xeka.
Monaco - Doubtful: Alexander Nubel.
Olympique Marseille - Injured: Arkadiusz Milik. Suspended: Leonardo Balerdi. Doubtful: Luan Peres.
PSG - Injured: Sergio Ramos, Colin Dagba. Doubtful: Lionel Messi, Neymar. Ineligible: Idrissa Gueye.
