Ligue 1 05-06/01/22: Monaco entertain Lyon, PSG pay visit to champions Lille

After a two-week break, Ligue 1 will resume this weekend, and there are a couple of cracking fixtures to look forward to. In this preview, we will give you the lowdown on Monaco v Lyon on Saturday. This is followed 24 hours later by Lille v Paris Saint-Germain. We will also keep you up-to-date with all the latest match odds.

Monaco aiming to bounce back as Champions League race intensifies

On their previous outing, before Ligue 1 took a brief pause, Monaco fell to a 3-2 defeat away to Montpellier. What was probably more frustrating about that result, was that Monaco produced a stirring comeback to recover from going 2-0 down. They looked to be on course for a draw. But they were hit by a sucker punch in the 90th minute.

Stephy Mavididi popped up with his second goal of the game, and Monaco are currently eighth in Ligue 1, with 33 points to their name. The top three qualify for the Champions League next season, and Marseille appear to be in the driving seat. However, if Monaco can beat Lyon, it would certainly put them back in contention.

Monaco manage to get some business done before the transfer window closes

The January transfer window can be a busy time for teams, especially when they are looking to strike some short-term deals. And Monaco managed to offload Pietro Pellegrini, who is on loan to Torino for the remainder of the season. Should he impress, Torino might be able to turn it into a permanent move in the summer.

Lyon looking to keep up winning habit

Winning breeds confidence. Before the winter break, Lyon claimed three victories in a row. It was a marked improvement from the previous three Ligue 1 outings, which they drew. Lyon are seventh in the table, but things are quite tight as there are just three points separating the teams in fourth to 11th. Lyon know Monaco is a game they can’t afford to lose.

Lille’s season in danger of fizzling out

After the extraordinary achievement of last season where Lille defied the odds to win the title, things have fallen a bit flat. It has been hard to maintain the lofty standards they set for themselves, and Lille are now 11th in the table. However, a win against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday would inject some life into their campaign.

Paris Saint-Germain facing pivotal month

There are always defining periods for teams in a season. In the case of Paris Saint-Germain, February looks set to be a huge month. After facing Lille, they take on high-flying Rennes, and they also have to contend with the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Real Madrid.

Nothing is guaranteed in terms of trophies. Although PSG are in charge of Ligue 1 with a nine-point cushion at the top of the table, the Champions League remains the holy grail. And PSG, of course, will be desperate to lift Europe’s biggest prize after falling short in the final in 2020 against Bayern Munich.

Kylian Mbappe has been electrifying for PSG, scoring five times in his last five matches in all competitions. He will be key to his side’s chances of reclaiming the title. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have some difficult hurdles to negotiate, but they are looking in fine fettle.

Lille v Paris Saint-Germain: A look back on past encounters

Sometimes, the head-to-head record can be very telling, especially in terms of providing clues as to how a match might unfold. Usually, these games have been quite tight with only the odd goal separating the teams. When the two sides last met back in October, PSG enjoyed a 2-1 victory.

Although Jonathan David gave Lille a surprise lead at the Parc des Princes, Marquinhos equalised for the hosts before Angel Di Maria scored a late winner. Sunday’s clash should be intriguing. However, we feel PSG will nick this one, and take another step towards the title.

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