On Matchday 3 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain face AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes this Friday at 9:05 PM CET. It is a highly anticipated match that kicks off a particularly early start to the weekend.
The standings:
The matches:
To help Champions League-qualified clubs prepare as effectively as possible, the Professional Football League (LFP) has opted to schedule their matches as early as possible. There is even a notable exception: Lille will play as early as Thursday against Toulouse, aiming to bounce back from the disappointment of conceding a late equalizer against PSG. Against Toulouse, Lille must replicate their previous intensity and avoid complacency with the Champions League just around the corner.
Another exception is the 7:00 PM Friday match featuring Olympique Lyonnais, who need to regain their confidence following their Champions League preliminary round elimination and last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Le Havre. They will look to capitalize on Auxerre’s struggles; AJA currently sit at the bottom of the table with two losses and eight goals conceded already.
PSG’s match follows, and there is considerable anticipation surrounding it. It is time for the Parisians to secure three points, especially against Monaco—the only team to have taken maximum points from the first two matchdays. An intense clash is expected, as the Monegasques will be looking to make a strong statement.
Later in the day, eyes will be on the exciting matchup between Olympique de Marseille—brought back down to earth by Monaco last weekend—and Paris FC, who are coming off a very promising 3-0 victory over Nice. Nice, meanwhile, will need points against newly promoted Le Mans to avoid spiraling into a fresh crisis of confidence. Lens will need to bounce back after their defeat against Strasbourg, while Lorient also badly needs a win to avoid the pressure of a relegation battle. Rennes and Angers are far removed from that situation for now, and they need to prove it.
