Ligue 1 gets back underway this Friday, with Matchday 21 of the French top-flight kicking off with Nice's interesting home clash with Nantes. However, most of the excitement will take place over the weekend.
League leaders PSG will be involved in one of two matches set to take place on Saturday, with Mauricio Pochettino's men eyeing a return to winning ways after their 1-1 draw with bitter rivals Lyon last week. Speaking of Lyon, they, alongside Monaco, will be in action on Sunday as both sides aim to climb up the table in the race to secure European football.
Marseille, who are currently in third, will be looking to return to the no.2 spot but will be in for a tricky test in the final fixture of this upcoming round. Here's everything you need to know about Matchday 21 in Ligue 1.
League standings ahead of Matchday 21 games in Ligue 1
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 28 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 65 | 24 | +41 | 63 | DWWDD | |
| 2 | Brest | 29 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 44 | 27 | +17 | 53 | LWWDL | |
| 3 | Monaco | 28 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 53 | 38 | +15 | 52 | WWDWD | |
| 4 | Lille | 28 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 42 | 25 | +17 | 49 | WWDDW | |
| 5 | Nice | 29 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 31 | 22 | +9 | 47 | WDLWL | |
| 6 | Lens | 29 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 38 | 32 | +6 | 43 | LDLLW | |
| 7 | Olympique Lyonnais | 29 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 38 | 45 | -7 | 41 | WWDWW | |
| 8 | Reims | 29 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 36 | 39 | -3 | 40 | LDDWD | |
| 9 | Olympique Marseille | 28 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 39 | LLLWW | |
| 10 | Rennes | 29 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 39 | LLLWD | |
| 11 | Toulouse | 29 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 34 | 37 | -3 | 36 | WDWLL | |
| 12 | Strasbourg | 29 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 33 | 40 | -7 | 36 | WDWWL | |
| 13 | Montpellier | 29 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 36 | 41 | -5 | 33 | DWWLW | |
| 14 | Nantes | 29 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 28 | 45 | -17 | 31 | WLWLL | |
| 15 | Le Havre | 29 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 27 | 37 | -10 | 28 | LDLLW | |
| 16 | Metz | 29 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 30 | 49 | -19 | 26 | WLLLW | |
| 17 | Lorient | 29 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 35 | 55 | -20 | 26 | LLLDL | |
| 18 | Clermont | 29 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 48 | -27 | 22 | DDLWL |
Top games to watch on Matchday 21 games in Ligue 1
Nice vs Nantes: The second-best team in the league kick things off in this round, with Nice welcoming Nantes on Friday in what should be an interesting tie. Christophe Galtier's men are currently on 36 points, level with Marseille, but sit ahead of Sampaoli's crew courtesy of their superior goal difference. Given that Guendouzi and Co. are in for a tricky fixture this weekend, Nice boast the golden opportunity to pull ahead of their bitter rivals. The Ligue 1 title race remains out of reach thanks to PSG's 11-point lead, but the Eaglets must simply focus on racking up as much points of possible given the recent dip in form from Les Parisiens. Unfortunately, Nantes have proven a tough side to beat, going six games unbeaten. Do not miss this tie.
PSG vs Brest: Pochettino might be without several of his key players due to injuries, COVID-19, and the Africa Cup of Nations, but PSG's recent 1-1 draw with Lyon was another disappointing result nonetheless. Kehrer's late goal rescued a point for the league leaders, but it was nonetheless their fourth draw in five French top-flight outings. As a result, their lead at the top has been slashed to 11. Will PSG return to winning ways when Brest pay them a visit? Tune in to find out.
Marseille vs Lille: As mentioned earlier, Marseille are level on points with second-placed Nice but given that they will be facing Lille this weekend, Sampaoli's men will need a disciplined performance. Guendouzi and Co. have won their last two games, one of which was a French Cup tie, but have dropped points in two of their last four league outings, showing their inconsistency. Lille, on the other hand, continue to struggle this term. The defending champions sit in 10th, meaning not only is their title defense out of the equation, but their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League are slim. It's not impossible, as third-placed Marseille are only eight points ahead, but Jonathan David and Co. will need an immediate improvement, starting with Sunday's trip to the Stade Vélodrome.
Who's in and who's out for Matchday 21 games in Ligue 1?
Nice: Robson Bambu (injured), Morgan Schneiderlin (suspended), Youcef Atal (away at AFCON 2021), Mario Lemina (away at AFCON 2021)
Monaco: Krepin Diatta (injured); Cesc Fabregas, Aurelien Tchouameni, Benoit Badiashile, Djibril Sidibe, Myron Boadu, and Aleksandr Golovin (all doubtful)
PSG: Neymar (injured); Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Julian Draxler, Angel Di Maria, Layvin Kurzawa and Danilo Pereira (all doubtful); Abdou Diallo, Achraf Hakimi, and Idrissa Gueye (all at AFCON 2021)
Rennes: Romain Salin (doubtful); Kamaldeen Sulemana, Hamari Traore, Nayef Aguerd, and Alfred Gomis (all at AFCON 2021)
