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Ligue 1 Predictions, Round 6GFFN editor-in-chief Luke Entwistle, and sub-editors Raphaël Jucobin and Bastien Cheval face off in our Ligue 1 predictions competition. This season, GFFN will...

Ligue 1 Predictions, Round 6

GFFN editor-in-chief Luke Entwistle, and sub-editors Raphaël Jucobin and Bastien Cheval face off in our Ligue 1 predictions competition. This season, GFFN will also be hosting guests. Earlier this season, The Athletic’s Alex Barker participated and became the first name on our guest leaderboard. Last week, we were joined by Julien Laurens, who achieved the highest score of the gameweek. It’s three points for a correct score, two points for a correct score difference, and one point for a correct result. Who will come out on top at the end of the season?

SCORES

Raphaël: 32

Luke: 29

Bastien: 36

Guest leaderboard:

Alex Barker: 7

Julien Laurens: 7

Game of the week: RC Strasbourg Alsace v Olympique de Marseille, Friday 19:45 (UK)

This feels like perhaps one of the defining games of the Ligue 1 season, for both teams. Strasbourg are currently tied with Ligue 1 leaders Monaco on 12 points. Emanuel Emegha returned last week and was on the scoresheet. Not that the Strasbourg fans were entirely thrilled, amid their continued protest against the club’s owners, in which he finds himself in the crossfire. The style of play remains attractive, progressive, attacking, and tailored to the needs of Ligue 1, or at least two-thirds of the teams that play in the top flight. Almost at full strength, Le Racing will look to make good progress whilst the weather is fair, with a few gruelling games coming up in the Europa Conference League in the weeks and months to come.

But for this match, they will be fresher. In a way, it feels like their season rests on this match. They are coming off the back of a huge win against PSG at the Vélodrome, their first in the league in 14 years. The importance of that win, both in terms of the table and keeping in the title race in these early stages, and in terms of morale, cannot be understated. They were excellent against PSG, the most solid defensively they have looked in the Roberto De Zerbi era. That is a really good omen. However, OM fear a slip-up in this one. “I have already threatened the players. They know that, if we beat PSG and then we arrive in flip-flops against Strasbourg, then we aren’t a big team,” said the Marseille manager. Backing up such a win will be crucial. They will have to do so with one day less rest, with Le Classique played on a Monday, after the original game was postponed due to bad weather. They have the quality to do it, though.