L1/7th Matchday: Gattuso’s Shocking Start at Monaco for Marseille, PSG against the Bottom Team

L1/7th Matchday: Gattuso’s Shocking Start at Monaco for Marseille, PSG against the Bottom Team

With their new coach Gennaro Gattuso, Marseille will try to get back on track after ten days of crisis, facing Monaco who has been knocked off the top spot, while PSG will have the opportunity to showcase their offensive power once again against Clermont, the bottom team and the worst defense in Ligue 1.

The Match: Monaco vs. Marseille, for Honor

The first major challenge for Gennaro Gattuso, the new coach of Marseille (8th), who was appointed on Wednesday to replace Marcelino, is an away game against Monaco (4th) on Saturday for the 7th matchday of Ligue 1.

The past ten days have been a nightmare for Marseille, with the loss of their coach, a hard-fought draw in the Europa League against a struggling Ajax Amsterdam, and most notably, a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes against their arch-rivals, Paris Saint-Germain.

On the Marseille bench, Gattuso has the daunting task of getting the club back on track, and it starts with a bang. But nothing is impossible, especially since last Friday, Monaco suffered their first defeat of the season at home against Nice (0-1).

Nice (2nd) managed to contain Monaco’s attack, the best in the league: a first this season, as Monaco failed to find the back of the net and were displaced from their comfortable position at the top. Therefore, we will witness a real battle of redemption on Saturday evening at the Stade Louis-II.

The Player: Achraf Hakimi, Sparkling

Crucial in PSG’s last four matches (3rd) – three goals and one assist in all competitions – the 24-year-old full-back is showing a whole new side of his game at the start of this season. Since joining the capital in the summer of 2021, the Moroccan had occasionally been disappointing compared to his performances at Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, or even Real Madrid.

However, since the arrival of Luis Enrique, Hakimi has had a major role in PSG’s offensive play. “The coach has made me feel free, he gives me a lot of confidence,” he said after his outstanding performance against Dortmund in the Champions League. And it shows.

On Saturday, against the bottom team Clermont (18th), the worst defense in Ligue 1, the Moroccan rocket will have plenty of space to make his sharp runs or cut inside, exploiting his connection with his new teammate Ousmane Dembélé to the fullest.

The Number: 0

Since the start of the season, Olympique Lyonnais (17th) has not won any of their matches. Moreover, the Rhône club has never taken the lead in any game.

Last Saturday, in his first match on the Lyon bench, Fabio Grosso, appointed to replace Laurent Blanc and lift the club out of this infernal spiral, made a bold choice by removing playmaker Rayan Cherki from the starting lineup. However, the Gones suffered a defeat against league leaders Brest (1-0) and were practically nonexistent in attack.

The Lyon attack, the worst in Ligue 1 with only three goals scored, will try to restore their reputation on Sunday at the Stade de Reims (5th).

Matchday 7 Schedule

Friday, September 29

(9:00 PM) Strasbourg – Lens

Saturday, September 30

(5:00 PM) Clermont – Paris Saint-Germain

(9:00 PM) Monaco – Marseille

Sunday, October 1

(1:00 PM) Reims – Lyon

(3:00 PM) Toulouse – Metz

Nice – Brest

Le Havre – Lille

(5:05 PM) Lorient – Montpellier

(8:45 PM) Rennes – Nantes