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Ligue 1 Matchday 31 Preview and Predictions

by
kevin
April 24, 2026

The French top-flight football league, Ligue 1, is just four matchdays away from announcing the champions. Notably, the clash between PSG and Lens is tense and close, with both teams on a 1 point difference. This, however, will result in a dramatic clash in the upcoming matchup between Lens and PSG. Besides, Lyon, LOSC, and Rennes are trailing with significant point deficits. That being said, the remaining matchdays will have no shortage of excitement and drama. Let’s look at the upcoming Matchday 31’s schedule and predictions for a few hand-picked matches.

Recent Ligue 1 Highlights

PSG’s Clean Sheet Against Nantes

Paris Saint-Germain faced Nantes in the postponed Matchday 26 and won 3-0. PSG dominated the game, maintaining possession and showing their midfield flair. Nantes had a free-kick, but still failed to score. Meanwhile, PSG had two goals and a penalty goal. This further increased PSG’s chance of winning the Ligue 1 title. They had this win right after losing to Lyon previously.

LOSC vs Nice – A Goalless Draw

LOSC had a strong game against Nice as they managed a higher possession rate and control over the ball. But all their efforts to score were nullified. OGC Nice tried their best and came close to scoring a goal. However, LOSC’s goalkeeper saved multiple crucial shots. His work rate was stunning near the goal line. As a result, the draw gave both teams a single point.

Lens’s Rebound

Len’s win against Toulouse was hard-earned as the visitors scored twice early in the game. It became easier for Toulouse to defend against their lead, but Lens scored twice within a ten-minute span. After this equalizer from Lens, both teams chased for the decisive goal. In the 91st minute, Ismaëlo Ganiou scored the most needed goal and earned a win.

Ligue 1 Matchday 31 Schedule

Expected Lineup for Brest

Defense	Kenny Lala, Brendan Chardonnet, Junior Diaz, Daouda Guindo
Midfield	Joris Chotard, Hugo Magnetti, Romain Del Castillo, Junior Dina Ebimbe, Rémy Lascary
Attack	Ludovic Ajorque

Expected Lineup for Lens

Defense	Ismaëlo Ganiou, Malang Sarr, Samson Baidoo
Midfield	Ruben Aguilar, Mamadou Sangaré, Adrien Thomasson, Matthieu Udol, Florian Thauvin, Wesley Saïd
Attack	Rayan Fofana

Preview

Lens is far better than Brest, ranking second in the Ligue 1 standings. Their defense has a positive goal difference, making up for one of the best defenses in the league. They previously won Toulouse narrowly in the final moments. Although their possession was good, their shot-making slightly struggled. Their vertical passes and rapid assists will create more scoring opportunities for them. On the other hand, Brest ranks 12th in the league, with moderately good scoring and a below-average defense. Their 10-7-12 record highlights their struggles against elite squads. In addition, they are on a 4-game winless streak, with only 1 win in their last 5 games. Defensively, Brest has conceded more goals due to errors in their midfield. So, Lens will have more scoring chances while containing Brest’s offense.

The Pick: Lens.

Lyon vs Auxerre

Time: 06:30 PM IST | 09:00 AM EDT

Date: 24 April 2026

Expected Lineup for Olympique Lyonnais

Defense	Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Clinton Mata, Moussa Niakhaté, Ruben Kluivert
Midfield	Tyler Morton, Orel Mangala, Abner Vinícius, Noah Nartey
Attack	Endrick, Afonso Moreira

Expected Lineup for AJ Auxerre

Defense	Marvin Senaya, Sinaly Diomandé, Bryan Okoh, Gideon Mensah
Midfield	Elisha Owusu, Kévin Danois, Romain Faivre, Danny Namaso, Josué Casimir
Attack	Lassine Sinayoko

Preview

Lyon has shown a solid defensive structure this season. Their improved defense has allowed significantly fewer goals than they score, resulting in a positive goal difference. They have also kept a considerable number of clean sheets. Additionally, their last two games show their improved coordination and ball movement. In contrast, Auxerre’s defense is significantly weaker than Lyon’s. They concede more often, mostly due to defensive instability. They tend to lose possession and fail to convert in the second half of the games. As a result, Lyon will have an easy time outscoring Auxerre.

The Pick: Lyon.

Angers vs PSG

Time: 10:30 PM IST | 01:00 PM EDT

Date: 24 April 2026

Expected Lineup for Angers

Defense	Lilian Rao-Lisoa, Dan Sinaté, Jordan Lefort, Jacques Ekomié, Emmanuel Biumla
Midfield	Louis Mouton, Branco van den Boomen, Haris Belkebla
Attack	Prosper Peter, Amine Sbaï

Expected Lineup for Paris Saint-Germain

Defense	Achraf Hakimi, Illia Zabarnyi, Willian Pacho, Lucas Hernández
Midfield	Senny Mayulu, Lucas Beraldo, João Neves
Attack	Ousmane Dembélé, Gonçalo Ramos, Bradley Barcola

Preview

PSG is ultimately dominating the Ligue 1, and they also have the UCL presence, knocking out Liverpool. With strong hands like Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué, PSG has been strong at both offense and defense. They have a good consistency, winning 21 out of 29 games they played. Meanwhile, Angers is struggling to win in their last five games. Their fragile defense is prone to conceding goals. They are also having difficulties in blocking and converting chances. So they will have a tough time containing PSG.

The Pick: PSG.

Paris FC vs LOSC

Time: 08:45 PM IST | 11:15 AM EDT

Date: 26 April 2026

Expected Lineup for Paris FC

Defense	Hamari Traoré, Diego Coppola, Otávio, Thibault De Smet
Midfield	Marshall Munetsi, Samir Chergui, Pierre Lees-Melou, Ilan Kebbal, Alimami Gory
Attack	Ciro Immobile

Expected Lineup for LOSC

Defense	Thomas Meunier, Chancel Mbemba, Aïssa Mandi, Romain Perraud
Midfield	Ayyoub Bouaddi, Benjamin André, Hákon Haraldsson, Félix Correia, Matias Fernandez-Pardo
Attack	Olivier Giroud

Preview

Paris FC is having a moderate form, winning three of their last five games. They have a reasonable defensive side, but they concede on numerous occasions. For the 40 goals they scored, they have allowed 46 goals. This shows their fragile defensive side. Therefore, compared to LOSC, Paris FC is weaker in defense, with better blocking and ball retrieval skills. LOSC’s midfield is also its strength, enabling them to contain their opponents before it’s too late. Above all, LOSC’s consistency is relatively higher, having won four of their last five games. Hence, LOSC will easily win over a struggling Paris FC.

The Pick: LOSC.

Conclusion

The Ligue 1 is closing with exceptional matchups in the final matchdays. The title race is as intense as ever with the top five teams. Unlike any other league, Ligue 1 is highly competitive and close among the teams for the Ligue 1 title. With the fans’ huge expectations for their teams, the upcoming matchdays will be unpredictable.