As Ligue 1 resumes this Friday, the 12th day of the French championship promises to be interesting in several ways. Here are the 5 questions surrounding the resumption of the French championship.
Will Monaco move forward?
Despite a victory against Strasbourg just before the break, AS Monaco's balance remains fragile. Second in Ligue 1, the Monegasques remained 3 games in a row without a victory. Adi Hütter's men host Brest, 12th in Ligue 1, this Friday evening at 7 p.m. A duel against a club in difficulty in the championship could offer an easy victory to Thilo Kehrer's teammates who could thus put pressure on PSG who will play immediately. In addition, the Monegasques will host Benfica Lisbon in the Champions League on Wednesday. Third in the standings, Monaco will also be favorites and will have the opportunity to take a step towards qualification against the 19th placed Portuguese. A victory would therefore do them the greatest good.
A Sampaoli effect in Rennes?
Will the Sampaoli effect be felt on Sunday? Arriving at the start of the international break after the dismissal of Julien Stéphan, the Argentinian Jorge Sampaoli has his work cut out for him. He takes over Stade Rennais which is 13th in Ligue 1 and which has lost 3 in its last 5 matches in the league. In addition, Sampaoli begins with a perilous trip on the Lille lawn, Sunday at 3 p.m. With his explosive character, will the former OM coach be able to allow Rennes to regain the first part of the table? Start of response on Sunday.
Will OM move forward?
Was the defeat against Auxerre just an accident? This is the question that OM supporters are asking themselves. The Phocéens travel to Lens on Saturday, 8th in the championship and which also remains with an encouraging victory against Nantes, at 5 p.m. Now third in the championship, 9 points behind the Parisian leader, Marseille must rather look behind rather than ahead. Lille is in fact on one point and Lyon on two. The men of Roberto de Zerbi, who put his resignation in the balance after the defeat against Auxerre, hope to regain confidence before the reception of Monaco next weekend.
Lyon on the same dynamic?
A victory in a derby, even if unconvincing, is necessarily good for morale. It does even more good when it is part of a series of 6 matches without defeat which has lasted for almost 2 months in the championship. Fifth in Ligue 1 and ninth in the Europa League, Olympique Lyonnais has had a satisfactory start to the season on a sporting level. Threatened by the DNCG on a financial level, Pierre Sage's team is in a good dynamic sportingly speaking. The trip to Reims, 7th, one point behind OL, could allow, in the event of a victory for Les Gones, to return to the podium in the event of a poor result from Marseille to Lens earlier in the day. A result which would be reassuring before a distant trip to Azerbaijan on Thursday in the Europa League where Lyon could take a step towards direct qualification for the round of 16.
Will Montpellier start a series?
Thanks to its victory against Brest just before the international break, Montpellier regained some confidence and above all put an end to a series of 5 consecutive defeats. The arrival of Jean-Louis Gasset undoubtedly allowed the Hérault players to hear a new discourse. Still last in the championship, the Montpellier team travels to Saint-Etienne on Saturday at 7 p.m. A victory would allow them to catch up with the Greens and pass Le Havre in the event of a poor result for the Normans in Nantes on Sunday at 5 p.m. An opportunity not to be missed before a difficult schedule which awaits Arnaud Nordin's men between now and the end of the year.
