Paris Saint Germain’s trailblazing commencement to the French Ligue One current season continues in earnest when they host newcomers Amiens at Stade de France on Saturday afternoon.
Thomas Tuchel’s reigning champions have won all nine league games to date, scoring an average of 3.5 goals per match.
The Parisians laid down a marker in their final outing before the international break by dismissing Bruno Genesio’s talented Olympique Lyon side 5-0, despite playing three quarters of the match with ten men.
Les Bleus starlet Kylian Mbappe Lottin poached four goals on the night to become the first teenager to bag a Ligue One quadruple in almost half a century.
Mbappe’s four-goal haul catapulted him to the summit of the goal scorers chart with eight goals, the same as record signing Neymar Jr. The lethal pair are also locked at a continent leading goals involvement with eleven apiece.
Strike partner Edinson Cavani’s five goals mean PSG are Europe’s most dangerous attacking outfit.
Surprise package Lille defend second place when they visit struggling Dijon.
Lille boast an effective striking triumvirate of their own that features Jonathan Bamba, Jonathan Ikone and Nicolas Pepe, who between them have helped the side from Northern France tame all comers.
Ligue One action gets underway on Friday night with Lyon hosting newly promoted Nimes at Parc Olympique Lyon.
Bruno Genesio’s side is blighted by inconsistence, interspersing memorable results like the 4-2 victory over Marseille with a 0-1 reverse at home to Nice.
Genesio can however count on the mercurial form of Nabil Fekir, Terguy Ndombele and Bertrand Traore to take all three points off Nimes.
Another match to look out for is the Sunday southern France derby between Nice and Marseille. Patrick Vieira’s Nice are blowing hot and cold but in Alain Saint Maxim boast one of Ligue One’s brightest prospects.
Marseille’s effort will be led by Les Bleus stars Dmitri Payet, Steve Mandanda and Florian Thauvin.
Elsewhere, France World Cup legend Thierry Henry begins his tenure as Monaco coach with a tricky trip to Strasbourg.
Though Henry knows his way around Ligue One, having won the title with his paymasters as a 17-year-old, Monaco lie precariously in the relegation zone.
Henry is thus required to quickly find a winning formula.
FRIDAY:
Olympique Lyon v Nimes
SATURDAY:
Paris St Germain v Amiens
Reims v Angers
Caen v Guingamp
Nantes v Toulouse
Dijon v Lille Metropole
Strasbourg v Monaco
SUNDAY:
Montpellier v Bordeaux
Nice v Olympique Marseille
Saint Etienne v Rennes
