The 2021/22 Ligue 1 season continues, with the latest Matchday—round four of the ongoing campaign—set to commence on Friday. Lyon, who have endured a rough start to the season despite being one of the favorites for the title, kick things off with their 3 p.m. ET clash with Nantes, with the remaining nine fixtures scheduled to take place over the weekend.
Only two matches will go down on Saturday – Nice vs Bordeaux at 11 a.m. ET and Marseille vs St-Etienne at 3 p.m. ET. The likes of Monaco, Lille, and PSG will all take to the field on Sunday to face Troyes, Montpellier, and Reims respectively. All eyes will be on Les Parisiens' away fixture as this match could see Lionel Messi make his debut for his new club. Here's everything you need to know about Matchday 4 in Ligue 1.
League standings ahead of Matchday 4 in Ligue 1
Top games to watch on Matchday 4 in Ligue 1
Nantes vs Olympique Lyon: As mentioned above, Lyon have not begun the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season well. Despite being one of the favorites to challenge PSG and defending champions Lille for the title, Peter Bosz's side have failed to win any of their first three fixtures. Two draws and a defeat leave them in 16th place with only two points under their belt. Then there is the issue of their squad, with Maxwel Cornet set to leave the club for Burnley while Aouar continues to be offered to several clubs amid problems with his attitude. Can Les Gones finally get their act together on Matchday 4 and register their first win of the Ligue 1 season? Tune in to find out.
Olympique Marseille vs Saint-Étienne: Jorge Sampaoli's side return to action in Ligue 1 for the first time since their controversial showdown with Nice. That game was abandoned after a huge brawl broke out on the pitch involving the fans, players, and staff. Things exploded when Dmitri Payet, having been struck by a bottle as he came to take corner, threw the bottle back into the crowd in anger. The Marseille players refused to return to the pitch after the game was halted, resulting in a 3-0 defeat for Les Phocéens. Will they respond with a victory over Saint-Etienne? Do not miss this tie.
Lille vs Montpellier: Everything that was said earlier about Lyon and their struggles is true for Lille. The defending champions are yet to win this season, drawing twice and losing once in their opening three fixtures. As a result, they are rotting in 17th place, a spot above the relegation zone, and will thus be keen on turning things around as quickly as possible.
Reims vs PSG: All eyes will be on this fixture as it could see Lionel Messi make his debut for Pochettino's side. PSG have fared well without the Argentine superstar, winning all three of their opening fixtures, but the desire to see the six-time Ballon d'Or winner on the Parc des Princes pitch is high nonetheless. Given that Mbappe is being heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, this could be the only chance of seeing Leo, Neymar, and Kylian playing side-by-side in one lineup. More details on Reims vs PSG and where to watch this Ligue 1 showdown can be found here.
Who's in and who's out for Matchday 4 in Ligue 1?
Here are the list of players ruled out for the upcoming round from France's top clubs:
Lyon: Lenny Pintor, Jeff Reine-Adelaide
