Lens buoyant, Strasbourg and Paris FC shaky as French top flight returns | OneFootball

The French top flight returns on Friday after a pre-season that split the pack. L'Équipe notes Lens buoyant, while Strasbourg and Paris FC raised alarms.

Lens settled early, won the Como Cup by beating Villarreal 3-1, and lost only to Sunderland 0-2. They then lifted the Trophée des champions against PSG 1-0, setting a positive tone.

Angers under Stéphane Gilli posted four wins, losing only to Le Mans, and closed by beating Paris FC 3-2 and Lorient 2-1. Promoted Le Mans impressed, Louis Mafouta scoring five, with eye-catching results against Angers and Nantes, though experience is still required.

Will Still’s Auxerre lost just once, at Orléans 1-2, and signed off by beating Werder Bremen 1-0 before opening at Lens on 22 August. Troyes are unbeaten but youthful, with Patrick Beach a standout and the opposition level urging caution.

Lille were steady rather than spectacular, while Marseille won three and lost two, organised without the ball but still the only elite club yet to add a signing. Nice thumped OM 3-0, then failed to score from open play against Juventus, Cagliari and Hull, albeit with a solid back line.

Lyon targeted the Champions League play-off, starting with three wins, then defeats to Slavia Prague and Betis. They reacted by beating Wolfsburg and Sparta Prague 3-0 after a 1-2 first leg, helped by a dismissal. Fenerbahçe await.

Monaco mixed a 3-2 win at Liverpool with defeats to Sporting and Coventry. The Conference League play-off first leg against Gornik Zabrze is on 20 August, before Le Havre away on 23 August. Toulouse’s early uptick gave way to losses to Elche 0-3 and Hamburg 1-2 in Jens Berthel Askou’s Stadium bow.

Rennes beat Guingamp and Club Brugge, then faltered against stronger sides, exposing issues with rigour and cheap concessions. Le Havre’s 1-0 at Le Mans masked earlier setbacks to Oviedo and Ipswich.

Lorient’s four early wins gave way to defeats by Angers and Elversberg. Brest only beat Stade Briochin and lacked key men in a 0-2 loss to Nottingham Forest. Strasbourg lost five, drew one and conceded 21, though a 1-1 draw and 3-2 shootout win over Newcastle at the Vélodrome softened the finish, while Paris FC’s early 1-0 over Reims was followed by two draws and defeats to Mainz 0-4 and Angers 2-3, with set pieces a problem.

Source: L'Équipe

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