The 2020/21 French Ligue 1 campaign has already kicked off and we are yet to see any major plot twists at the moment. However, this much is understandable since not a lot of games have been played and the teams are still trying to find their rhythm. Moreover, until the summer transfer window is not concluded, many teams’ coaches would be looking into testing out options they have available at the moment. However, the most important thing about the upcoming match day is the return of reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais. Both teams return to action after being given an extended break owing to their participation in the UEFA Champions League last season. Lyon reached the semifinal of the competition for the first time in many years and were eventually eliminated by Bayern Munich. PSG on the other hand, became the first Ligue 1 side to reach the Champions League final since Olympique de Marseille but sadly lost the final to Bayern Munich who now have six European successes under their belt. Lyon would definitely be taking a lot of positives out of their European adventure and Rudi Garcia would be eager to guide the team back to glory days and challenging for the Championnat. PSG on the other hand, would definitely be reeling over their inability to make most of the opportunity they had against Munich and would now be looking to take their frustration out on their Ligue 1 opponents. And with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in fine form, who can bet against Thomas Tuchel’s men? RC Lens v PSG The Ligue 1 giants requested to postpone their trip to Lens. The game was originally set to take place on August 25. Now however, Lens have nowhere to hide and would have a pretty good idea of how things could pan out for them. The game could be a one sided affair and expect PSG to give Lens a serious hammering. Bordeaux v Lyon The two sides are set to meet on Saturday and Lyon would be eager to build on their 4-1 demolition of Dijon in the previous round. Netherlands international Memphis Depay scored a hat-trick in that game and the former Manchester United man would be eager to continue his great run of form. Bordeaux on the other hand, would be no pushovers and are expected to defend in solid blocks against a very attacking Lyon outfit. Lille v Metz Jonathan Bamba scored the only goal of the game as Lille registered a hard fought victory over Stade de Reims. The pairing of Burak Yilmaz and Jonathan David seems to be a very promising one and Christophe Galtier is expected to go for a straightforward 4-4-2 formation which did wonders for Les Dogues last season. Metz on the other hand, really need to start putting in consistent displays as early as possible and avoid a potential relegation dogfight. AS Monaco v Nantes A red card to Youssouf Fofana did not impact the team’s win over FC Metz but the Principality club would need to be more organized when they take on Nantes. Monaco haven’t really convinced and manager Niko Kovac would definitely be under some pressure from the bosses to start delivering. This is no longer the Monaco side that used to stand toe to toe with the likes of PSG and Lyon. The squad looks decent but there is always something missing, especially consistency. Saint-Etienne v Strasbourg Romain Hamouma scored twice to hand Saint-Etienne a 2-0 win over Lorient in their first game of the new campaign. After a very disappointing previous campaign, Les Verts really need to up their game and start putting in a string of strong displays. Saint-Etienne are a team that is comprised of some really experienced players so they should not find themselves in trouble the way they did last season. However, a 2-0 win in their first campaign might have been exactly what this club needed ahead of a game against a Strasbourg side that is yet to collect a single point so far this season. Nimes v Stade Rennais With one win and one draw in their opening two games, Rennais are definitely in a strong position. Julien Stephan has done an amazing job with this group and with Champions League football also on the cards, it would be interesting to see how the Brest club performs. In Stven N’Zonzi and Eduardo Camavinga, Rennais have two quality midfielders who can dictate the pace of the game. And the encounter with Nimes is bound to be another game where Rennais are expected to dominate proceedings and rack up another useful win that would ease some pressure off of their shoulders once the Champions League campaign resumes. Where to watch French Ligue 1 2020/21 games in the UK Ligue 1 games will be shown live on BT Sport throughout the season. The full schedule of all the games can be seen on their official website. How to subscribe to BT Sport? If you’re already a BT Broadband customer, you can add BT Sport to your existing subscription for an additional £10.00 per month. However, you also have the option to pick up a non-contract BT Sport monthly pass for only £25.
