Ligue 1 Matchday 3 Preview, September 3-6
PSG's opening rounds have been eventful, but not in the way Luis Enrique would have wanted. Twice in a row, the team only rescued a result in stoppage time: first coming back from 0-2 down in Rennes thanks to a Ferran Torres brace, then repeating the feat in Lille. The reigning champions have only two points from a possible six, their worst start in many years.
Monaco are the complete opposite: they are the only team in the league to have taken maximum points from the opening two rounds, and they now travel to PSG in Matchday 3. There is intrigue at the bottom as well, with winless Auxerre sitting last and hosting an improving Lyon side. Here is our preview of Ligue 1 Matchday 3.
Toulouse vs Lille
Toulouse began the season with a 0-2 defeat to Lyon before earning their first point with a 2-2 draw at Brest in Matchday 2. New head coach Jens Berthel Askou is building the team around organisation rather than star names: that was how the Dane guided modest Motherwell to fourth place in the Scottish league. For Lille, the trip to Toulouse is their first test after the most painful episode of the season so far. Les Dogues led PSG 2-0 almost until the end, only to concede twice in stoppage time and let victory over the champions slip away (2-2). Davide Ancelotti now faces exactly the kind of situation he was brought into a cost-conscious club to handle: forget a disastrous finish quickly and make sure confidence does not disappear with it.
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Lyon vs Auxerre
Lyon remain unbeaten, although points have not come easily. At home to Le Havre, they only equalised in the 87th minute through Loïs Openda after the visitors had taken the lead in the 74th (1-1). Three days earlier, Paulo Fonseca's side were eliminated from Champions League qualifying by Fenerbahçe, so the meeting with Auxerre offers a chance to reset without European commitments. Things have been much tougher for the Burgundians: after being heavily beaten by Lens in the opening round, Will Still's side, coached by the former Lens and Reims boss, also lost at home to Angers (1-3). Auxerre remain the only club in the league without a point and have the worst goal difference, with three scored and eight conceded.
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PSG vs Monaco
PSG enter the round with two points from a possible six, the reigning champions' worst start in many years. They rescued both matches only in stoppage time: first coming back from 0-2 down in Rennes through a Ferran Torres brace, then doing the same in Lille, where Vitinha and Marquinhos scored in the 91st and 95th minutes (2-2). The squad situation does not help either: Désiré Doué picked up an injury and was substituted at half-time against Lille, while just before the transfer window closed the club sold Bradley Barcola to Liverpool for €125 million, with bonuses potentially taking the fee to €145 million. Monaco, by contrast, are the definition of stability: Filipe Luís has named the same starting XI for three games in a row, while Paris Brunner scored twice against Marseille (2-0) and has now found the net in three consecutive matches.
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Lens vs Lorient
After a triumphant start, a Super Cup victory over PSG and a heavy win against Auxerre, Lens have begun to slow down. In Strasbourg, they conceded twice to 20-year-old Jessim Yassine and could only respond from the penalty spot through Florian Thauvin (1-2). Dino Toppmöller's thinner squad, following the departures of Sage and Thomasson, is already beginning to feel the workload in September. Lorient also dropped points despite putting up a fight: after a goalless draw with Nice, Alexandre Dujeux's side lost 1-2 at home to Troyes and are still looking for their first win of the season.
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Le Havre vs Brest
Le Havre are still searching for their first victory. Didier Digard's team led in Lyon after Mbwana Ally Samatta scored in the 74th minute, but they conceded to Loïs Openda three minutes from time and once again let three points slip away. Brest, who started under new coach Julien Lachuer with two straight draws, against newly promoted Le Mans (2-2) and Toulouse (2-2), are also yet to win, but they have not lost either. That matters just as much. For a club that lost its long-serving coach this summer, it is already a reasonable foundation to build on.
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Nice vs Le Mans
Nice went to Paris and returned without a point. Three unanswered goals, including a Lassine Sinayoko penalty and a Vincent Marchetti strike in the 89th minute (0-3), wiped out the positive effect of the previous round's goalless draw with Lorient. Olivier Pantaloni has yet to find the right balance between new arrivals such as 37-year-old Axel Witsel and the rest of the squad. Le Mans, back in the top flight for the first time in 16 years, came from behind twice in Rennes thanks to a Louis Mafouta brace, but were reduced to ten men after Djibril Sidibé was sent off in the 68th minute and still lost in the sixth minute of stoppage time (2-3).
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Troyes vs Strasbourg
Troyes have made the best start of all the clubs returning to the top flight. After a goalless draw with Paris, they beat Lorient 2-1 away from home to earn their first Ligue 1 victory after three years outside the division. Strasbourg, meanwhile, are only just climbing out of a hole: after a 0-4 thrashing by Marseille, Hugo Oliveira's young side beat Lens 2-1, with both goals scored by 20-year-old Jessim Yassine. For a club with no player older than 24, beating one of the early-season favorites is a serious statement.
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Angers vs Rennes
Angers are recovering after a poor start. A 0-2 defeat to Lille was followed by their first win of the season, a 3-1 victory over Auxerre. Rennes also enter the round unbeaten, although they have already let a lead slip against PSG, who came back from 0-2 down in stoppage time. Unlike Lille, Franck Haise's side recovered quickly and then produced a comeback of their own to beat Le Mans 3-2 thanks to an Estéban Lepaul brace. With three goals in two rounds, Lepaul shares the top spot in the scoring race with Florian Thauvin.
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Marseille vs Paris
Marseille did not bounce back immediately. After thrashing Strasbourg 4-0, Bruno Génésio's side lost 0-2 away to Monaco, conceding twice to Paris Brunner. The main story around the club now is not the results on the pitch but Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's captaincy: the armband was taken away after the midfielder refused a move to Newcastle. Paris, by contrast, are gathering momentum. After a goalless draw with Troyes, Liam Rosenior's side beat Nice 3-0 and even went top of the table outright for a few hours before Monaco defeated Marseille later that same day.
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Matchday 3 Summary
The headline fixture, PSG vs Monaco, is intriguing on two levels. The champions are searching for their first league win after two last-gasp escapes, while the league leaders want to prove that six points from six are no accident. There is also a curious parallel: Lille and Rennes independently led PSG by two goals and both failed to hold on, a rare case of the same team overturning two-goal deficits in consecutive matches. At the bottom, Auxerre host an improving Lyon side with little room for another heavy setback, while Troyes test just how sustainable their excellent start really is. It is worth assessing the impact of the now-closed transfer window carefully before choosing your bets, and our resources can help: https://scores24.live/en/sportbooks-fr
FAQ
When will Ligue 1 Matchday 3 in 2026/2027 take place?
The third round of the French championship will be played from September 3 to 6, 2026.
Which match is the headline fixture of Ligue 1 Matchday 3 in the 2026/27 season?
The main game of the round will be PSG vs Monaco at the Parc des Princes. Marseille vs Paris and Angers vs Rennes are also among the most interesting fixtures.
Who leads Ligue 1 after Matchday 2?
Monaco are alone at the top of the table with six points and are the only team to have won both of their opening matches.
Who is bottom of Ligue 1 after Matchday 2?
Auxerre are bottom of the table and are the only club in the league yet to collect a point.
