Scores

Raphaël: 63

Luke: 59

Game of the week: AS Monaco v Marseille, Sunday 19:45 (UK) 

Raphaël: 

Laurent Blanc’s Lyon tenure so far has been middling – two games, two losses – but he has managed to stop the team’s freefall and salvage a sliver of hope that the team can challenge for the European spots. Given their (otherwise concerning) lack of internationals, the World Cup break will be a chance to regroup – before that, though, a win against a resurgent but still shaky Nice side should be well within reach. Lens should be able to continue their devastatingly efficient form and continue to cement themselves as PSG’s main challengers, while Rennes will be free from the shackles of last week’s 90-minute siege in Lille to return to their free-scoring form.

The leaders will be winding down ahead of the World Cup but should make light work of an Auxerre team on just one win since August. Expect Will Still’s Reims revival to go on in Montpellier, while Lorient can use the momentum from their performance against PSG to punish a continuously self-imploding Strasbourg team. Igor Tudor still has questions to answer despite Marseille’s win over Lyon last weekend – whether Monaco have enough to reopen OM’s European wounds and leapfrog them in the table is doubtful, though.

Luke: Laurent Blanc’s first games as Lyon boss have been unspectacular. They certainly look more defensively sound than they did under Peter Bosz, but they look uninspiring offensively. They come up against an OGC Nice side that have hit their first patch of form of the season. Les Aiglons are unbeaten in six, and are managing to scrape over the line, whilst improvements from key players such as Nicolas Pépé give room for optimism. It feels as though momentum is with Lucien Favre’s side heading into the final gameweek before the World Cup. 

Elsewhere, many of those battling at the top of the table have relatively easy ties. Lens face Clermont Foot, who have surpassed expectations so far, but should still be little match for Franck Haise’s side and it is a question of how many at the Parc des Princes as Paris Saint-Germain take on Auxerre. Sunday night’s headline act should be a thriller. Marseille head to Monaco with the Principality looking to leapfrog Igor Tudor’s side into fourth. Monaco are on another good run, but Marseille will be buoyed by victory in last weekend’s Choc des Olympiques. Whoever wins has the chance to deal a significant blow to the other side’s Champions League aspirations. 

Raphaël’s full predictions:

Lyon 2-1 Nice

Lens 2-0 Clermont

Rennes 4-1 Toulouse

PSG 2-0 Auxerre

Brest 0-0 Troyes

Lille 2-0 Angers

Montpellier 1-2 Reims

Nantes 3-1 Ajaccio

Strasbourg 1-3 Lorient

Monaco 2-2 Marseille

Luke’s full predictions: 

Lyon 1-2 Nice 

Lens 3-0 Clermont Foot 

Rennes 4-1 Toulouse 

PSG 5-0 Auxerre 

Brest 1-1 Troyes 

Lille 2-0 Angers

Montpellier 3-2 Reims 

Nantes 1-0 Ajaccio 

Strasbourg 0-1 Lorient

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Monaco 2-0 Marseille