Leader Monaco hosts Lille (5th) in the top-of-the-table match which opens the 8th day of Ligue 1, then PSG (2nd) will try to keep its offensive rhythm against Strasbourg and Marseille (3rd) to relaunch against Montpellier.
. The match: Monaco-Lille, Champions League shock
Building on the best start to the season with six wins and a draw in seven matches, AS Monaco host Lille on Friday to give themselves time to prepare for their 3rd Champions League match on Tuesday against Belgrade. The intractable leader remains on four victories in a row in L1, a prestigious success over Barça (2-1) and a draw at Dinamo Zagreb (2-2), former great rival of Red Star of the time of Yugoslavia. The princely club is counting on its newfound collective strength, with ten different scorers since the start of the season, in all competitions. The only downside is the prolonged absence of their American striker Folarin Balogun, injured in a shoulder. Conversely, Lille, which goes to the field of Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, found Jonathan David, author of six goals in the last four matches, counting the one with Canada and the penalty against Real Madrid, to a prestigious victory (1-0). Losc has just won three times in a row and is doing much better after a poor start. At the other end of the ranking there is a duel between two of the bottom three: Toulouse-Angers.
. The coaches: Der Zakarian versus De Zerbi
The duel of “De Z.”. One, Michel Der Zakarian, is on an ejection seat, Montpellier sticks to penultimate place in L1 with only one victory and the worst defense in the championship (21 goals conceded). “If you don’t want to defend, you go to Ligue 2,” thundered the coach.
The other, Roberto De Zerbi, is experiencing his first setback after a flamboyant debut with Olympique de Marseille. A defeat and a draw at home against the only team doing worse than Montpellier, Angers, last in L1, ruffled the feathers of the Olympian’s great takeoff and of this umpteenth “new project” and the supporters, at first bewitched, began to grind your teeth. “I accepted the compliments after the good results, we must now accept the criticism,” said the Italian technician. De Zerbi’s OM, now third, five lengths behind Monaco and three behind PSG, which he hosts on October 27 for the “Clasico”, has the psychological advantage: Montpellier has not won this duel since November 2018 (3-0). But “Der Zak” was on the bench…
. The number: 3
Like the average of goals per match for Paris Saint-Germain, by far the best attack on the board with 21 goals scored. The three-time reigning French champion will try to maintain the pace against Strasbourg on Saturday (9:00 p.m.). Randal Kolo Muani only scored two, far behind Bradley Barcola (6) and even behind Ousmane Dembélé (4), more prolific than ever, and Lee Kang-in (3). But “RKM”, in clear lack of confidence with the heavy PSG jersey, is in full success with the blue tunic, although also heavy. “Kolo”, starting at the forefront with the France team during the October matches, remains on a double in Brussels against Belgium.
Programme:
Friday:
(20h45) Monaco – Lille
SATURDAY:
(7:00 p.m.) Saint-Étienne – Lens
(21h00) Paris SG – Strasbourg
Sunday:
Toulouse – Angers
(20h45) Montpellier – Marseille
