Lyon vs. Brest (Saturday, 4.00pm)
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Lyon take on Brest on Saturday as the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season begins, with the hosts expected to secure a comfortable victory ahead of a potentially positive season.
Brest, meanwhile, narrowly survived relegation last season; like their forthcoming opponents, they have reacted by making a change in the dugout.
We say: Lyon 1-1 Brest
With Lyon missing one or two key players and beginning life without Depay, we can envisage a surprise result here, with Brest potentially gaining a positive result from the game.
Der Zakarian is a very promising managerial appointment for the club having impressed at Montpellier; while this is a tougher challenge for him, a flying start would certainly help matters no end.
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Troyes vs. PSG (Saturday, 8.00pm)
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Troyes take on Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday as the 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign begins, with the visitors looking to reclaim their domestic crown after finishing second behind Lille last season.
Troyes, meanwhile, won Ligue 2 to return to France's top-flight for the first time since being relegated in 2018.
We say: Troyes 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Troyes have won only one of their six pre-season friendlies and could be set for a long, difficult season ahead, so we expect a comfortable victory for PSG.
Despite the visitors almost certainly being without several first-team players who are returning to training late after competing in Euro 2020 and Copa America during the summer, they still have more than enough quality to put a relegation-threatened side to the sword.
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Barney Corkhill
