Ligue 1 September 18–20: Le Classique, Two Unbeaten Sides Meet and Monaco Face Another Test

Ligue 1 Matchweek 5 ends with the biggest fixture in French football as Marseille host PSG at the Velodrome. But there is plenty to watch before that too: unbeaten Lyon and Rennes meet head-to-head, while Monaco look to stay among the early leaders against an inconsistent Lens side.

We take a closer look at three matches, with two more worth watching.

888STARZ odds were recorded at the time of writing via the bookmaker’s current line in an odds comparison service and may change before kick-off.

Marseille vs PSG — Le Classique in an unexpected context

The biggest game of the round, although both teams arrive in a very different position from what many expected before the season.

Marseille have lost three league matches in a row and failed to score in two of their last three.

PSG have hardly started perfectly either, with just one win from their opening four league games. Victory over Brest last weekend eased some of the pressure after taking only two points from the previous three.

Marseille did, however, win the previous home meeting with PSG 1-0. And right now, only two points separate the sides.

888STARZ odds:
Marseille — 7.30 | Draw — 5.44 | PSG — 1.44

The market is firmly behind PSG. For Marseille, that makes this more than just a derby — one big result could completely change the mood around their difficult start.

Lyon vs Rennes — two unbeaten sides go head-to-head

On current form, this may be the highest-quality matchup of the round.

Neither side has lost yet. Lyon remain unbeaten after four games, while Rennes have won three straight matches and could move to the top with another victory.

Lyon also beat Anderlecht 2-1 in the Europa League in midweek, so recovery and freshness could become part of the story.

888STARZ odds:
Lyon — 2.19 | Draw — 3.88 | Rennes — 3.33

The market gives Lyon a slight edge, but 3.33 on a side coming off three consecutive wins shows how open this matchup really is.

Monaco vs Lens — one of the leaders against a side still searching for stability

Monaco start the round among the league leaders and are still unbeaten: three wins and one draw. They have also scored in every league game so far.

Lens arrive in very different form, with just one point from their last three matches and seven goals conceded after four rounds. Their away record does not help either — only one win from their last eight Ligue 1 trips.

888STARZ odds:
Monaco — 2.11 | Draw — 3.78 | Lens — 3.61

Monaco are favourites, but not overwhelmingly so. That makes Friday night a useful test of how serious their early title push might be.

Two More Matches Worth Watching

Nice vs Lille

Bottom against top.

Nice are still without a win and have scored just once in four matches. Lille, meanwhile, remain unbeaten, have won three games and already kept three clean sheets.

888STARZ: 3.74 | 3.60 | 2.13

Given the contrast in their starts, 2.13 on Lille is one of the most revealing prices of the round.

Toulouse vs Le Havre

Both teams are still waiting for their first win and have two points each.

Toulouse’s home numbers are particularly poor: two defeats and no goals scored. Le Havre, however, are unbeaten in their last five Ligue 1 away matches.

888STARZ: 1.83 | 3.82 | 4.83

The market clearly expects Toulouse to finally get their first win here.

All Ligue 1 Matchweek 5 Fixtures

The main question is obvious: can Marseille use Le Classique to reset their season?

But there are two other strong tests around it. Rennes take a three-game winning streak into a meeting with unbeaten Lyon, while Monaco look to back up their excellent start in a matchup where the market still gives Lens a real chance.

Those are the three storylines worth revisiting after the weekend.