So far this season, the Ligue 1 title race has been a very interesting contest, with both Lille and Lyon enjoying one of their best campaigns in years. PSG, of course, have gotten back into it thanks to turning things around after a poor start, but Les Parisiens will certainly continue to face a tough battle as their opponents truly believe that this could be the season in which they clinch the coveted title for themselves.
Previously a seemingly three-horse battle, it has now evolved into potentially four sides battling for the prize as Monaco, who are the only team in the past decade besides PSG to win the Ligue 1 title, have moved up into the top four.
Let's have a look at what took place over this weekend's round of fixtures.
Top five teams in Ligue 1 up to February 15
The race for the title continues, with reigning champs PSG moving into second. However, Lille, who have had an outstanding campaign thus far, still remain slightly ahead of the chasing pack
Who are the top three scorers in Ligue 1?
Although Kylian Mbappe didn't score in PSG's 2-1 win over Nice, the young star still continues to narrowly stay ahead of others hoping to win the top scorer prize
Top Ligue 1 headlines
No Neymar for crunch trip to Camp Nou: Four years ago, Neymar was part of the Barcelona team that successfully achieved what the Spanish press refer to as "La Remontada" (the comeback). For those who don't remember, Barcelona had come into their second leg of their round of 16 clash having lost 4-0 to PSG in Paris, and most pundits predicted it was game over for the Catalan side.
However, Barcelona managed to overhaul their four goal deficit thanks to a stunning 6-1 win at Camp Nou and dump PSG out of the competition, with Neymar playing a major role in their successful comeback. Certainly, PSG have never forgotten that humiliating loss, but unfortunately, won't have one of their star men as they plot their revenge. The 29-year-old Brazilian superstar suffered an injury last week that will see him miss what would have been a fascinating return to Camp Nou, as well as three more Ligue 1 ties (including their upcoming showdown with Monaco).
He will, however, likely be fit to feature in the second leg at the Parc des Princes on March 10th.
An icon's son hungry for success: The name Weah will certainly be familiar to many football fans, and that means that anyone who happens to be a son of George Weah, who's the only African to ever win a Ballon d'Or, will feel quite a bit of pressure on his shoulders. However, 20-year-old Timothy Weah, who currently plays his club football for Lille isn't allowing that to burden him as he hopes to help fire Lille to the Ligue 1 title.
Although Weah has dealt with many injuries that have kept him out of the starting XI, he has since recovered has been directly involved in two goals in two of his last three Ligue 1 matches. USMNT fans will certainly be hoping to see more from the former PSG youngster, who has scored three times this season, especially with a huge crop of American players making their marks in Europe's biggest leagues.
Top Ligue 1 matches: February 19-21, 2021
Brest vs Lyon: After seeing their four-match winning streak snapped last round with a 2-1 loss to Montpellier, Rudi Garcia's men will want to get back on track in order to at least re-claim second place. Depending on the outcome of the Lorient-Lille tie and how many goals Lyon score, Les Gones could conclude matchday 26 on top of the table in what has been a very intriguing title race so far.
Lorient vs Lille: Having drawn their last match against Brest, Lille have now seen their lead on top of the table cut to just one point. Les Dogues, who have lost twice so far, will naturally be looking to get back to winning ways when they travel to face Lorient on Sunday. However, their upcoming hosts have won three of their last five matches and will be also desperate for a win given that they're just one point above the drop zone.
PSG vs Monaco: Since 2012, Monaco are the only side besides PSG to win the Ligue 1 title, with Les Rouges winning the coveted prize during the 2016/2017 season, which was their eighth trophy and first since the 1999/2000 campaign.
A top four clash, this game is a must-win for both sides. For PSG, a win here could see them move into top spot, depending on the results from the Lorient-Lille tie. As for Monaco, who have won four of their last five games, a victory here would let them put major pressure on Lyon - of course, depending on how Les Gones do against Brest on Friday.
Make sure you don't miss out on these key games and stay on top of all the action by checking out our bespoke Ligue 1 match page.
