The new Ligue 1 season begins this weekend and here Sport360 has compiled the ultimate two-part guide to each team including predictions, vital statistics and key transfer news. Part two covers AS Monaco to Troyes.
AS MONACO
MONTPELLIER
Coach: Rolland Courbis
Star man: Anthony Mounier
Last season: 7th
Key ins: Ryad Boudebouz (Bastia), William Remy (Dijon), Rami Bensebaini (Lierse, loan)
Key outs: Lucas Barrios (Spartak Moscow), Abdelhamid El Kaoutari (Palermo), Yassine Jebbour (Bastia)
Prediction: The ingenuity of Mounier and the flare of Morgan Sanson will see La Paillade challenge for the European spots having just missed out last season. Courbis has steadied the ship and in his third season at the helm he’ll be expected to push on – 6th.
NANTES
Coach: Michel Der Zakarian
Star man: Papy Djilobodji
Last season: 14th
Key ins: Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax), Adrien Thomasson (Evian), Wilfried Moimbe (Stade Brestois 29)
Key outs: Jordan Veretout (Aston Villa), Georges-Kevin N’Koudou (Marseille), Issa Cissokho (Genoa)
Prediction: Les Canaris were mid-table but, given the tightly compacted nature of last season, were in a relegation fight for much of the year. The same again is on the cards especially given talisman midfielder Veretout’s departure – 16th.
NICE
Coach: Claude Puel
Star man: Hatem Ben Arfa
Last season: 11th
Key ins: Valere Germain (Monaco, loan), Jean Seri (Pacos de Ferreira), Maxime Le Marchand (Havre)
Key outs: Eduardo (Porto), Jordan Amavi (Aston Villa), Didier Digard (Real Betis)
Prediction: Finally, Les Aiglons have Ben Arfa available and his creative instinct will be crucial, especially with key departures in defence with left-back Amavi joining Aston Villa. Much depends on the former Newcastle man and there’s a real worry the attacker could be a flop – 10th.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Coach: Laurent Blanc
Star man: Marco Verratti
Last season: 1st
Key ins: Benjamin Stambouli (Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Key outs: Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Alphonse Areola (Villareal, loan), Jordan Ikoko (Lens)
Prediction: The Parisian side are expected to win a fourth straight title, while the rest of France will surely be playing catch-up. The prospect of an open title race seems slim and Blanc’s side are likely to be even stronger – the addition of Angel Di Maria is imminent – than the team that won every domestic trophy available last season – 1st.
STADE DE REIMS
Coach: Olivier Guegan
Star man: Aissa Mandi
Last season: 15th
Key ins: Frederic Bulot (Standard Liege) Henri Traore (Lierse)
Key outs: Benjamin Moukandjo (Lorient), Gaetan Courtet (AJ Auxerre), Chris Mavinga (Rubin Kazan, loan return)
Prediction: Reims, who have barely strengthened, have lost Moukandjo and must rely on Gaetan Charbonnier and David N’Gog to score the goals to keep them up. There’s no guarantees they’ll be able to score enough and given the slide last term their time is up – 18th.
STADE RENNAIS
Coach: Philippe Montanier
Star man: Paul-Georges Ntep
Last season: 9th
Key ins: Giovanni Sio (Basel) Yacouba Sylla (Aston Villa, loan), Pedro Mendes (Parma)
Key outs: Vincent Pajot (Saint-Etienne), Philipp Hosiner (FC Koln, loan), Zana Allee (AC Ajaccio)
Prediction: Montanier’s side have struggled in pre-season and there’s an air of pessimism heading into the new campaign. Les Rouges et Noir’s back three looks shaky and you can’t see them pushing on from last seasons 9th-placed finish at all – 13th.
ST ETIENNE
Coach: Christophe Galtier
Star man: Stephane Ruffier
Last season: 5th
Key ins: Nolan Roux (Lille), Benoit Assou- Ekotto (Free), Kevin Theophile-Catherine (Cardiff City)
Key outs: Mevlut Erding (Hannover 96), Franck Tabanou (Swansea City), Max Gradel (Bournemouth)
Prediction: They’ve lost all three of their top scorers and not really replaced them. They’ve strengthened at the back so they’ll be tough to break down but goals will be a problem for Les Verts and they’ll struggle to break the top three – 4th.
TOULOUSE
Coach: Dominique Arribage
Star man: Wissam Ben Yedder
Last season: 17th
Key ins: Mauro Goicoechea (Arouca), Marcel Tisserand (Monaco, loan)
Key outs: Issiaga Sylla (Ajaccio, loan), Zacharie Boucher (Auxerre), Dragos Grigore (Al-Sailiya, loan)
Prediction: La Ville Rose avoided relegation by just five points and one place last term thanks mainly to other team’s inadequacies. If Ben Yedder can recapture last term’s form – and they keep hold of him – Toulouse will be safe – 12th.
TROYES
Coach: Jean-Marc Furlan
Star man: Corentin Jean
Last season: 1st (Ligue 2)
Key ins: Fabien Camus (KRC Genk), Lossemy Karaboue (Nancy), Jessy Pi (Monaco, loan), Corentin Jean (Monaco, loan),
Key outs: Lionel Carole (Galatasaray), Florian Jarjat (Released), Khassa Camara (Released)
Prediction: Troyes are back in the French top flight just two seasons after relegation. Out of the three promoted sides they have the best chance of scraping through and retaining striker Jean (on loan) for another season is a big boost – 17th.
