Ligue 1 will return this weekend, with Paris Saint-Germain five points clear of second-place Nice. The likes of Monaco and Brest are lingering around the top three.
If either club has hopes of making a title push, they will need to start well this weekend.
Monaco edged Reims in their last six head-to-head meetings, with a record of 3W-1D-2L. In the teams’ reverse fixture, Monaco went to Reims and won 3-1. The away team is unbeaten in the last six games between these clubs in all competitions.
Reims ended the first part of the season with a 1-0 win over Le Havre. The win ended a two-game losing streak for the club. Reims lost their last three away games.
Monaco are third in the standings thanks to winning three of their last four Ligue 1 games. Four of Monaco’s last five home fixtures ended as wins. Les Monegasque are the second-best scorers in the league with 33 goals.
Lille and Lorient split their last six matches in all competitions, with three wins apiece. The home team won the last five fixtures between these sides in all competitions. Lorient smashed Lille 4-1 in the teams’ reverse fixture.
Lille will restart the campaign in fifth place. They went unbeaten in five of their last six Ligue 1 matches. The team is in excellent form at home, going unbeaten in their last five fixtures. Les Dogues conceded just 14 goals in the opening 17 games.
Lorient are mired in a relegation battle. They are 17th after 17 games, with 12 points. Lorient lost their last three games before the Winter Break.
Montpellier posted a record of 3W-1D-2L against Brest in the teams’ last six meetings. Brest went to Montpellier and won 3-1 earlier this season. The last five games between these clubs featured more than 2.5 goals.
Brest are a surprise package this season. They will start the weekend in fourth place and four points off second place. Outside of PSG, the rest of Ligue 1 has been unpredictable. Brest went unbeaten in their last six games, and their last three matches ended in wins.
Montpellier are 11th, as they ended the first half of the season in poor form. Just one of Montpellier’s last six games ended in a win. They conceded 21 times in their opening 17 games and scored just 19 goals.
If Brest are the surprise package for all the good reasons, then Lyon are the surprise package for the bad reasons. Les Gones are 14th in the league standings and just two points above the relegation zone. Lyon could only manage a nil-nil draw at home to Le Havre earlier this season.
The Winter Break came at the wrong time for Lyon. They won their last three games before the holidays. All three wins saw Lyon keep clean sheets. Perhaps Les Gones are ready to move up the table and away from danger.
Le Havre are equally in danger of relegation, making this game a relegation six-pointer. The team is 12th in the standings, with 19 points. Le Havre won just one of their last six games before the Winter Break. They scored the third-fewest goals in the opening 17 games, with 16.