Lyon and Lille threatening PSG’s Ligue 1 dominance

15/01/21 2289

For the first time in a long time, Paris Saint-Germain are not running away with the Ligue 1 title.

With 19 games played this season, Lyon are currently leading the way in the French top-flight, with PSG in second place and Lille in third.

Having lost just one game this term, Lyon find themselves top of the table on 40 points, while both PSG and Lille are only one point behind.

But will Lyon or Lille be able to maintain their promising early-season form and finally end the Parisians’ Ligue 1 dominance?

• What is going on at PSG?

Following a below-part start to the campaign, PSG parted ways with Thomas Tuchel and replaced him with Mauricio Pochettino.

The defending champions only lost three Ligue 1 games during the 2019/20 season, but they have already suffered four defeats in 19 games this term.

Despite boasting the best scoring and defensive records in the division, the Parisians have dropped a whopping 18 points in 2020/21.

Kylian Mbappe has netted 12 league goals, while Moise Kean has bagged nine, yet an injury to Neymar has clearly impacted PSG’s forward line.

Time will tell whether or not Pochettino will be able to galvanize his players and fend off the competition from Lyon and Lille.

• Can Lyon clinch the title?

Lyon have claimed seven Ligue 1 titles, but with each of their triumphs coming between 2001/02 and 2007/08, they haven’t had much to shout about in recent times.

However, an outstanding run of one defeat in 19 games has put Los Gones well and truly in the title race this season.

Memphis Depay has contributed 11 goals and five assists in Ligue 1, with Karl Toko Ekambi, Tino Kadewere and Houssem Aouar all chipping in.

But if Lyon want to remain in the title race, they must start turning more draws into wins. Indeed, only two teams in the division have drawn more games than Rudi Garcia’s men.

• What about Lille?

Lille can take huge confidence from the fact that they find themselves level on 39 points with second-place PSG as we pass the halfway point in the campaign.

Not only do Les Dogues boast the second-best defensive record in Ligue 1, but they are also the fourth-highest scorers.

Lille have actually lost two fewer games than PSG, although six draws have prevented Christophe Galtier’s men from overtaking the Parisians.

Turkish duo Yusuf Yazici and Burak Yilmaz have been the stars of the show so far, with latter notching up eight goals and four assists in Ligue 1 this season.