On Matchday 16 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain faces Metz at the Stade Saint-Symphorien this Saturday at 7:00 PM. A win is essential to finish 2025 at the top of the league.
The standings:
The matches:
With the weekend of Saturday, December 20th dedicated to the Round of 32 of the Coupe de France, this is the final matchday of Ligue 1 this year. PSG must therefore win to go into the winter break in first place. A mission that seems within their grasp with a trip to Metz, who are back in 18th place after their 3-1 defeat against Auxerre last weekend. Even though the Champions League has taken its toll, Paris has plenty of fight left in them.
However, a victory doesn’t guarantee anything, as Lens can remain top by taking 3 points against Nice. Lens are brimming with confidence, while Nice are in the depths of a crisis. Be warned, football isn’t always straightforward, and an upset is always possible.
This reminder applies to three matches this weekend, as the top teams face off against each other: Lille (4th) travels to Auxerre (16th), and Lyon (5th) hosts Le Havre (15th). Even though Auxerre arrives with renewed confidence and Lyon is far from Lens’ current form, the results are far from certain.
The same goes for the weekend’s clash between Marseille (3rd) and Monaco (7th), two struggling teams desperately needing a win to avoid tension around Christmas. It will also be interesting to see how Rennes (6th) reacts, having had their four-game winning streak halted by a 5-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes. Meanwhile, Brest (10th) has rediscovered its form and will be looking to finish the season with a big win.
Like Lorient (13th), who might look to build on their victory against Lyon, they could face a Strasbourg (8th) side currently too inconsistent to truly challenge for European qualification. However, Strasbourg are capable of great things. The same can be said for Toulouse (9th), an opponent who could extend Paris FC’s (14th) poor run of form, as their slide down the table becomes increasingly worrying.
Before all that, Angers (11th) will want to continue their excellent run of form, both in terms of performance and results, by securing a win against a Nantes side in c
