Although competition is fierce this weekend with El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona on Saturday, this weekend is actually perfect to catch some high stakes action in France’s Ligue 1 with no less than three major matchups taking place. RC Lens vs. Lille OSC might have drawn the short straw in being directly up against Spain’s world-renowned offering, but Sunday’s doubleheader of OGC Nice vs. AS Monaco and Olympique de Marseille vs. Paris Saint-Germain falls either side of Arsenal vs. Liverpool in the Premier League. Given that six of the top eight Championnat clubs are up against each other this weekend, with eye-catching results in the UEFA Champions League such as LOSC’s wins over Real and Atletico Madrid as well as ASM’s victory over Barca, French soccer is finally punching a weight similar to its immense collective talent.
We look at why these three fixtures have become so important and colorful in France’s yearly calendar and why they are more than worth your while this weekend.
Derby du Nord
- Date: Saturday, October 26 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Stade Bollaert Delelis – Lens, France
- Watch: beIN Sports | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
Lens vs. Lille: These two Northern giants are fierce local rivals and regularly two of the top sides in the country. After a period where Les Sang et Or struggled to get out of Ligue 2, the 1998 French champions are now back in the topflight and have been in Europe the past two seasons which has brought continental action back to their mythical Stade Bollaert Delelis home which is a strong part of Lens’ cult status. Les Dogues boast three more domestic titles than their bitter neighbors and most recently won Ligue 1 in 2021 which definitely paints them as the favorites and Lens as the underdogs when it comes to this fixture. With an atmosphere very close to those enjoyed in English soccer, expect a blood and thunder encounter each and every time that these two meet with this edition no exception as Will Still and his players aim to overturn Bruno Genesio’s conequerors of Madrid.
Derby de la Cote d’Azur
- Date: Sunday, October 27 | Time: Noon ET
- Location: Allianz Riviera – Nice, France
- Watch: beIN Sports | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
Nice vs. Monaco: Heading down south, Sunday’s meeting between Les Aiglons and Les Monegasques promises to be entertaining with Adi Hutter’s visitors quietly going about being one of the most solid European sides right now given their combined Ligue 1 and Champions League form. Monaco might have lost top spot to PSG last week but they could snatch it back immediately given that Luis Enrique’s men must go to Marseille and bring a result back to the capital although Nice will keen to ensure that does not happen for the principality outfit. The home side’s head coach Franck Haise was the architect of much of Lens’ recent revival and return to Europe and he is now getting stuck into a new challenge which is to perform with similar consistency at Allianz Riviera which will host this showdown between these combined 12-time French champions. It does not get much glitzier than the Cote d’Azur in France and this is the perfect appetizer for the main even which follows on Sunday.
Le Classique
- Date: Sunday, October 27 | Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Stade Velodrome – Marseille, France
- Watch: beIN Sports | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
Marseille vs. PSG: Like with El Clasico in Spain, every single soccer fan in France knows when Les Phoceens and Les Parisiens are about to meet — whether that is down south, in the capital or anywhere in-between. Ligue 1’s undisputed flagship fixture has added spice this year — although it rarely needs any encouraging — with Roberto De Zerbi overseeing a new-look Marseille outfit which includes former PSG star Adrien Rabiot with the Italian’s fiery and passionate approach a strong match with the rabid OM fanbase. Paris look more vulnerable than they have done in a while despite immense potential within the young squad being led by Luis Enrique and that creates an irresistible recipe for an unmissable game on Sunday between France’s two most successful club sides with 21 Championnat crowns between them. This one might still be missing away supporters for the full Classique experience — which at its full height rivals any major European derby for intensity — but Rabiot’s switching of sides and De Zerbi’s exciting new-look Marseille means that this one has a greater fascination factor than many of its most recent iterations.
KVSP