Leaders Paris Saint-Germain crushed Auxerre 5-0 in Ligue 1 to go into the mid-season World Cup break with a five-point lead over second-placed Lens. Our sportsbook offers the best markets and bonuses for the Ligue 1 action.
Let’s check the latest Soccer picks, stats, injury reports, and Soccer predictions. We’ve plenty of Soccer expert picks for you to consider.
No One Can Stop PSG
If Lille winning Ligue 1 two seasons was already something of a miracle, it will take something even more special for any side to stop PSG in 2022-23. As much as the increased international media attention could benefit French football, it must be disheartening for the other competitors in the league to see PSG, already so far ahead in terms of resources, continue to stockpile a heavy armory.
There is an inevitability about their relentless march this season, and you can be sure they have barely got going. After 15 rounds, PSG leads the standings with 41 points, five points above second-placed Lens and ten points clear of third-placed Rennes.
They are unbeaten this season, winning 13 games in the process and scoring 43 goals, 12 more than the second attack in the league, Rennes. That’s now six consecutive victories for Galtier’s men, and they will fancy their chances at picking up multiple trophies this season. Their season may well be defined by their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Bayern Munich, whom they host in the first leg on Feb. 14.
Lens: Surprise of the Season
Second-placed Lens has moved within two points of the French league leaders by beating Clermont 2-1. Lens has won five straight matches and lost only once in 15 league games, but the northern side has yet to face unbeaten PSG. They meet on New Year’s Day.
They have still not lost a single point at home this season, with an eighth victory in a row in their fortress, to equal the club record for a season as in 1955 and 1961. Their last win marks Lens’ best single-season run since they won seven in a row in 1998, the year they claimed their only Ligue 1 title. If you’re betting online, you should always back them on home soil.
Their last appearance in the Champions League came in 2002-03 when Lens beat eventual winners AC Milan in the group stage and drew with Bayern Munich. Lens travels to Nice for the first match after the World Cup on Dec. 28.
Ligue 1 2022/23 Season in Numbers
Before including the Ligue 1 matches in your soccer picks and parlays, it’s very important to check the stats. This season is different, so here are some numbers.
The 2022-2023 season has been particularly prolific in terms of goals, with a record average of 2.96 goals per game! This is the first time in the 21st century that the tally has been this high, but, better still, it’s the highest-scoring season in 44 years.
Clubs are scoring more goals from set-pieces this season, accounting for 32.4 percent of total goals, compared to 31.8 percent last season and 30.6 percent the previous one. But with a record season in this area, the total number of goals scored in open play is already 300 after 150 games, that’s 11 more than last season.
As for bookings, the number has fallen for the second season in a row, with 526 yellow cards in 15 matches, compared with 549 last year and 611 in the 2020/21 campaign.
