All French clubs are ready to fight in Matchday 26 on March 13, 2026. This round is crucial for several clubs, as the results could pivotally influence the standings heading into the upcoming fixtures. With the league starting the middle stage of the competition, teams are reshaping their growth and strengthening their positions. Several teams will face direct rivals as they aim to maintain their reputations and save their positions.
Key fixtures include Olympique de Marseille vs. AJ Auxerre, FC Lorient vs. RC Lens, and Angers SCO vs. OGC Nice. Some other matchups include AS Monaco vs Stade Brestois 29 and RC Strasbourg Alsace vs Paris FC. FC Metz vs. Toulouse FC, Le Havre AC vs. Olympique Lyonnais and Stade Rennais F.C. vs. LOSC Lille.
League Situation
Over the past week, the Ligue 1 standings have shown only slight chances among the clubs. Paris Saint-Germain F.C. suffered a 3-1 defeat against Monaco. For PSG, this loss did not affect their 1st-place standing in Ligue 1. PSG is also competing in the UEFA Champions League this season. RC Lens currently sits in second place in the standings, with its most recent winning streak coming against FC Metz.
Meanwhile, Olympique de Marseille defeated Toulouse FC in recent meetings and retained third place in the league standings. They are currently competing in the Champions League, which highlights their recent good form. A disappointing run of results has pushed FC Nantes into the relegation zone, which could significantly affect their upcoming fixtures. FC Metz currently sits in the danger zone and is struggling with more issues in the league.
Upcoming Matches Schedule
Marseille vs. Auxerre
Date: March 13, 2026 (Friday)
Time: 03:45 p.m. ET | 12:45 p.m. PT | 01:15 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
Lorient vs. Lens
Date: March 14, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET|09:00 a.m. PT| 09:30 p.m. IST
Venue: Stade du Moustoir in Lorient.
Angers vs. Nice
Date: March 14, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 02:00 p.m. ET| 11:00 a.m. PT| 11:30 p.m. IST
Venue: Stade Raymond-Kopa in Angers.
Monaco vs Brest
Date: March 14, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 04:05 p.m. ET | 01:05 p.m. PT | 01:35 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Stade Louis II in Monaco.
Strasbourg vs. Paris FC
Date: March 15, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET | 07:00 a.m. PT | 07:30 p.m. IST
Venue: Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg.
Metz vs. Toulouse
Date: March 15, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 12:15 p.m. ET | 09:15 a.m. PT | 09:45 p.m. IST
Venue: Stade Saint-Symphorien in Longeville-lès-Metz.
Le Havre vs. Lyon
Date: March 15, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 12:15 p.m. ET | 09:15 a.m. PT | 09:45 p.m. IST
Venue: Stade Océane in Le Havre.
Rennes vs. LOSC
Date: March 15, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 03:45 p.m. ET | 12:45 p.m. PT | 01:15 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Roazhon Park in Rennes.
Matches Prediction
The Ligue 1 2025-26 season will feature several club battles on March 13-15, 2026, that are crucial to their teams’ reputations. A key matchup between Lorient and Lens will be a top-position game.
Lorient vs. Lens
Date: March 14, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET|09:00 a.m. PT| 09:30 p.m. IST
Venue: Stade du Moustoir in Lorient.
Probable Lineups for Lorient
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Yvon Mvogo |
| Backs | Bamo Meité, Montassar Talbi, Abdoulaye Faye, and Arsène Kouassi, |
| Midfielders | Panos Katseris, Jean-Victor Makengo, Arthur Avom, Noah Cadiou, and Dermane Karim |
| Striker | Aiyegun Tosin |
Probable Lineups for Lens
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Robin Risser |
| Backs | Malang Sarr, Ismaëlo Ganiou, Matthieu Udol, and Saud Abdulhamid |
| Midfielders | Amadou Haidara, Adrien Thomasson, and Mamadou Sangaré |
| Wingers | Abdallah Sima, and Florian Thauvin |
| Striker | Odsonne Édouard |
Previous Game
Lorient shared a goalless 0-0 draw in the quarterfinal of the French Cup in their most recent game. Pablo Pagis was sent off for Lorient after receiving a red card. Lorient currently sits in the middle position of the Ligue 1 standings. After 25 games, Lorient has recorded eight wins, ten draws, and seven losses. They will look to capitalize on their home advantage in the upcoming game. Lorient’s opponent, Lens, has a strong away form, making for a better experience in the league game.
Conversely, the RC Lens faced FC Metz in their most recent game. Both teams failed to score in the first half. Saud Abdullhamid, Florian Thauvin, and Amadou Haidara scored the goal for Lens in the second half. In the end, Lens defeated Metz 3-0 in the Ligue 1 encounter. In their last five games, Lens has won three, drawn one, and lost one.
The Pick: RC Lens
Le Havre vs. Lyon
Date: March 15, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 12:15 p.m. ET | 09:15 a.m. PT | 09:45 p.m. IST
Venue: Stade Océane in Le Havre.
Probable Lineups for Le Havre
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Mory Diaw |
| Backs | Arouna Sangante, Ayumu Seko, Gautier Lloris and Yanis Zouaoui |
| Midfielders | Lucas Gourna-Douath, Simon Ebonog, Rassoul Ndiaye, and Sofiane Boufal |
| Winger | Issa Soumaré |
| Striker | Kenny Quetant |
Probable Lineups for Lyon
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Dominik Greif |
| Backs | Nicolás Tagliafico, Moussa Niakhaté, Clinton Mata, Hans Hateboer, and Abner |
| Midfielders | Tyler Morton, Khalis Merah, and Tanner Tessmann |
| Winger | Adam Karabec |
| Striker | Rémi Himbert |
Previous Game
Le Havre has struggled with inconsistency throughout the season. Their offense has shown weaknesses in Ligue 1. They have a home form that is much better than their away form. However, several squad members were on the injury list. Abdoulaye Touré is out with a knee injury, and Loïc Négo has a calf injury for Le Havre. Étienne Youte Kinkoue and Simon Ebonog will miss the match due to yellow-card suspensions.
By contrast, Lyon has shown more consistent form in recent matches. Offensively, they have performed well and maintained that momentum during their recent winning run. Notably, Lyon has also won six of their last 15 away fixtures. However, some players remain on the injury list. Ruben Kluivert is out with a muscle injury. Rachid Ghezzal and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were suffering from knee and adductor pain, respectively. Afonso Bastardo Moreira and Pavel Šulc are out with a hamstring injury. Lyon will have the remaining squad play with tough form in the away record match against Le Havre.
The Pick: Olympique Lyonnais
Marseille vs. Auxerre
Date: March 13, 2026 (Friday)
Time: 03:45 p.m. ET | 12:45 p.m. PT | 01:15 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
Probable Lineups for Marseille
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Gerónimo Rulli |
| Backs | Timothy Weah, Benjamin Pavard, Leonardo Balerdi, and Facundo Medina |
| Midfielders | Geoffrey Kondogbia, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, and Hamed Traorè |
| Wingers | Mason Greenwood and Igor Paixão |
| Striker | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang |
Probable Lineups for Auxerre
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Donovan Léon |
| Backs | Gideon Mensah, Bryan Okoh, Sinaly Diomandé, and Marvin Senaya |
| Midfielders | Kévin Danois, Elisha Owusu, and Yvan Zaddy |
| Wingers | Fredrik Oppegård, Josué Casimir, and Danny Namaso |
Previous Game
Olympique de Marseille remain unbeaten, 1-0, against Toulouse in their most recent fixture. Mason Greenwood scored the decisive goal for Marseille. Furthermore, Marseille currently sits on 46 points in the Ligue 1 standings. In their last five games, Marseille have earned two consecutive wins, two losses, and one draw. This team has been competing in the Champions League with two straight wins and three losses in their last five games. They have a home-field advantage to win in the upcoming fixture.
AJ Auxerre lost 3-0 to Stade Rennais F.C. in their most recent Ligue 1 game. Mahdi Camara and Esteban Lepaul scored the goal for Rennes. They are currently sitting just above the relegation zone in the Ligue 1 standings. This team has struggled throughout the season, which indicates weak form.
The Pick: Olympique de Marseille
Monaco vs. Brest
Date: March 14, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 04:05 p.m. ET | 01:05 p.m. PT | 01:35 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Stade Louis II in Monaco.
Probable Lineups for Monaco
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Philipp Köhn |
| Backs | Thilo Kehrer, Wout Faes, Jordan Teze, and Christian Mawissa |
| Midfielders | Denis Zakaria, Aladji Bamba, and Lamine Camara |
| Wingers | Maghnes Akliouche and Aleksandr Golovin |
| Striker | Folarin Balogun |
Probable Lineups for Brest
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Grégoire Coudert |
| Backs | Bradley Locko, Michel Diaz, Brendan Chardonnet, and Kenny Lala |
| Midfielders | Hugo Magnetti, Joris Chotard, and Kamory Doumbia |
| Wingers | Junior Dina Ebimbe and Romain Del Castillo |
| Striker | Ludovic Ajorque |
Previous Game
AS Monaco has been a stronger performer in Ligue 1 this season. They have 25 games, recording 12 wins, four draws, and nine losses. Monaco currently sits in seventh place in the Ligue 1 standings with 40 points. However, the team had several injury concerns. Kassoum Ouattara and Paul Pogba are out with calf injuries. Lukas Hradecky and Vanderson de Oliveira Campos suffered knee and hamstring injuries, respectively. Monaco will have a home-field advantage as they look to hold a victory in the upcoming match.
Stade Brestois 29 has shown inconsistent form throughout the season. Their recent performances have been impressive. In their last five fixtures, Brest have earned four straight wins and one draw. They are currently 9th in the Ligue 1 standings with 36 points. The team has a couple of injury concerns. Daouda Guindo and Mama Baldé suffered a broken and dead leg injury, respectively.
The Pick: AS Monaco
Closing
Ligue 1 continues to deliver elite competition, and the upcoming matchday will have a crucial impact on several teams’ reputations. Matchday 26 will feature a head-to-head encounter between Lorient and Lens. Which team will take a win and gain ground in their standings?
You may also like
Bundesliga 2025-26 Season Matchday 19 of 34 Predictions and Updates
Serie A Matchday 24 – Schedule, Odds, and Predictions
FA Cup 4th Round: Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic, Man City vs Salford, Liverpool vs Brighton
Bundesliga 2025-26 – Matchday 24 Odds and Predictions
La Liga 2025-26 Matchday 23 Impact—Weather Watch
Serie A Matchday 29 – Football Odds & Predictions and Stats
