Ligue 1 defending champions PSG kicked off the 13th matchday of the 2023-24 season with aplomb, as they recorded their sixth league win in a row when they hosted AS Monaco last night.
The Parisiens routed Les Rouge to extend their table lead to at least four points, which gives them some much-needed breathing room.
Second-seeded Nice, who were held to a goalless draw by Montpellier prior to the international break, are seeking to return to winning ways this weekend.
Meanwhile, Lyon, who have hit rock bottom in recent weeks, have finally recorded their first win of the season recently, but they still have a lot of work to do in order to appease their supporters.
For those who haven’t followed the French top-flight much this season, worry not, as SBOTOP is here to recap the latest Ligue 1 2023 updates.
PSG demolish Monaco at home
After thrashing fellow title contenders AS Monaco 5-2 at Parc des Princes, PSG now have all the momentum heading into their crucial clash against Newcastle United on Tuesday.
Goncalo Ramos gave the Parisiens the lead early when he capitalised on a poor ball by AS Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Kohn from an Ousmane Dembele attempt for his third goal since arriving from Benfica this summer.
However, Takumi Minamino scored the equaliser in the 22nd minute after a howler from Gianluigi Donnarumma, although PSG took back control for good a few minutes later.
Kylian Mbappe scored his 16th goal of the season via a penalty in the 39th minute, and Ousmane Dembele got onto the scoresheet himself in the second half, alongside Vitinha and Randal Kolo Muani.
Folarin Balogun scored another consolation goal for AS Monaco in the 75th minute.
Out of the five PSG scorers, it is Dembele who deserves to be named Man of the Match. Yes, that was only his first-ever goal in a PSG uniform, but he was also the one responsible for earning the penalty Mbappe converted to give his team the lead for good.
The former Barcelona winger now has six direct goal involvements in 11 games this season, and he will only continue to get better as he plays more matches.
Nice playing their brand of football
Having the ability to grind out wins is essential, and that’s what Nice have been doing this season to emerge as one of the legitimate contenders for the Ligue 1 crown.
That is because Les Algions have the best defence in the league, with only four goals surrendered thus far.
After beating PSG 3-2 in September, Les Algions have recorded seven consecutive clean sheets prior to the international break, with one 2-0 win, four 1-0 wins, and two goalless draws.
Centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo and goalkeeper Marcin Bulka deserve a ton of credit as to why Nice have built an impenetrable wall in the opponents’ final third. Both of them are under 25 years of age, so the future is bright for them.
Bulka spent two seasons on the bench with Nice behind former Leicester City man Kasper Schmeichel but is now their starting goalkeeper after the latter left for Anderlecht this summer.
Todibo has attracted several suitors, most notably Manchester United. Erik ten Hag apparently sees Todibo as a successor for the likes of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, who are approaching the wrong side of their 30s.
And don’t get us wrong, Nice can also score goals even if they have only recorded 13 goals so far this term.
Terem Moffi is an exciting young centre-forward for Nice, and he leads them in scoring with three goals. Meanwhile, 26-year-old attacking midfielder Jeremie Boga is about to hit his prime, and he has two goals and one assist.
Lyon stars to jump ship?
Lyon managed to secure a 1-0 win over 10-man Rennes prior to the international break to give Fabio Grosso his first win with the club and, more importantly, some time.
However, they are still mired in the relegation scrap. And because of that, there’s a looming uncertainty that some of their key players might leave the club as soon as January if their Ligue 1 2023 odds don’t improve.
RMC Sport revealed that Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso could depart the club in the winter transfer window, as both are attracting interest from foreign clubs.
It’s been a disappointing campaign so far, particularly for Lacazette, especially after he finished behind only Kylian Mbappe for the Golden Boot last season. This year, the former Gunner has just three goals in eight matches, and he didn’t even start in their win against Rennes.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
