Matchday 3 in Ligue 1 is already upon us, with the latest round in the French top-flight set to kick off on a Friday once again. French giants Lyon get things underway, taking on Troyes in the very-first fixture, but all eyes will be on the weekend as that's when the majority of the games will be played.
Monaco kick off the action on Saturday, with only two games scheduled to take place on that day. The remaining seven matches will all take place on Sunday and that's when the likes of Nice, PSG, Rennes, and Lille take to the field.
Which team will come out of this round with the maximum points and who will stumble? Here's everything you need to know about Matchday 3 in Ligue 1.
League standings ahead of Matchday 3 in Ligue 1
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 30 | 20 | 9 | 1 | 73 | 26 | +47 | 69 | WWDWW | |
| 2 | Monaco | 30 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 56 | 38 | +18 | 58 | WWWWD | |
| 3 | Brest | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 44 | 29 | +15 | 53 | LLWWD | |
| 4 | Lille | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 43 | 26 | +17 | 52 | LWWWD | |
| 5 | Nice | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 33 | 24 | +9 | 48 | DWDLW | |
| 6 | Lens | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 39 | 32 | +7 | 46 | WLDLL | |
| 7 | Rennes | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 44 | 36 | +8 | 42 | WLLLW | |
| 8 | Olympique Marseille | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 45 | 37 | +8 | 41 | DDLLL | |
| 9 | Olympique Lyonnais | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 39 | 49 | -10 | 41 | LWWDW | |
| 10 | Reims | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 41 | -4 | 40 | LLDDW | |
| 11 | Toulouse | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 36 | 39 | -3 | 37 | DWDWL | |
| 12 | Montpellier | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 38 | 42 | -4 | 36 | WDWWL | |
| 13 | Strasbourg | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 33 | 41 | -8 | 36 | LWDWW | |
| 14 | Nantes | 30 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 28 | 48 | -20 | 31 | LWLWL | |
| 15 | Metz | 30 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 31 | 49 | -18 | 29 | WWLLL | |
| 16 | Le Havre | 30 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 27 | 38 | -11 | 28 | LLDLL | |
| 17 | Lorient | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 36 | 59 | -23 | 26 | LLLLD | |
| 18 | Clermont | 30 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 21 | 49 | -28 | 22 | LDDLW |
Top games to watch on Matchday 3 in Ligue 1
Monaco vs Lens
Saturday's earliest game makes it onto our list as Monaco prepare to host Lens this weekend. Both sides boast four points to their name after two rounds, but the home side sadly enters this fixture on the back of some heartbreak. Not only did Ben Yedder and Co. recently drop points to Rennes, drawing 1-1, but the French heavyweights also missed out on UEFA Champions League football, having lost to PSV in the playoffs. This means Philippe Clement's side will have to be content with the Europa League this season. However, this should give them the needed drive to finish in the top two this term.
Meanwhile, Lens will look to improve on their respectable 2021/22 campaign, having finished in seventh last time out. While that wasn't enough to secure them European football, they weren't too far off from a UEFA Europa League berth. Franck Haise's side began the campaign with a 3-2 victory over Brest before drawing with Ajaccio. Additionally, they are unbeaten against Monaco since April 2015 and will look to maintain that run.
Nantes vs Marseille
Marseille will be one of the most interesting teams to watch this season after the departure of both Jorge Sampaoli and star player William Saliba, who spent last season on loan from Arsenal. Les Phoceens finished second last term and have, so far, endured a lovely campaign, winning their first game against Reims before drawing with Brest. Those four points mean they are currently second in the table, with only PSG boasting a better points tally as of now. Next up is a trip to Nantes, a team they beat both home and away in 2021/22.
As for the home side, they have only two points under their belt so far, having drawn with Angers and Lille in their opening two games. Guendouzi and Co. will be a tough test for the hosts but if they are to progress far in the UEFA Europa League this season, having secured qualification thanks to their Coupe de France win last term, then Marseille is the kind of team they will need to beat.
Lille vs PSG
The standout fixture of this round will see France's last two champions lock horns. Lille, who won Ligue 1 in 2020/21, will welcome the defending champions on Sunday. The hosts enter this clash on the back of their recent 1-1 draw away to Nantes but triumphed over Auxerre 4-1 in their opening fixture, thus handing them a lovely four points so far. Additionally, Les Dogues have triumphed in two of their last five encounters with PSG and should thus enter this tie with some confidence.
This fixture will be the first tough test for new head coach Christophe Galtier, the man who led Lille to the aforementioned Ligue 1 title. After convincing wins over Clermont Foot and Montpellier, scoring 10 goals and conceding only two, the French champions will see if they can overcome their poor away record against their biggest rivals last season. The rumored rift between Mbappe and Neymar is an area of concern, but with Les Parisiens blowing away the opposition on the pitch, fans should expect a performance from the Paris giants.
Who's out for Matchweek 3 in Ligue 1?
PSG: Timothee Pembele and Julian Draxler (injured)
Marseille: Pau Lopez (injured)
Monaco: Myron Boadu, Mohamed Camara, and Yllan Okou (injured); Youssouf Fofana (suspended)
Nice: No major injuries or concerns
Lyon: Anthony Lopes (suspended)
Lille: No major injuries or concerns
Rennes: Warmed Omari (injured)
