Weekend Ligue 1 Predictions: Best bets for gameweek 16 in France

The final Ligue 1 weekend fixtures of 2023 fall upon us on December 16 and 17, with a victory for Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday night enough to ensure the capital club stay top for the rest of the calendar year.

With two games left until the halfway point, Nice and Monaco look the likeliest to provide the reigning champions with any sort of challenge this season, while at the other end, bottom-club Lyon will be hoping for a rapid change in fortunes to avoid a prolonged relegation fight.

Le Havre vs OGC Nice (Saturday, 16:00)

Nice returned to winning ways last Sunday as they saw off Reims 2-1, and they will know that they probably need to win their final two games of 2023 to keep pace with PSG and mount a serious title challenge heading into the new year.

Opponents don't come much better than Le Havre at the moment, with Saturday's hosts without a win in their last four. They haven't won at Stade Oceane since September 24, either, and they've only won twice in total at home - both against sides currently in the relegation zone (Clermont and Lorient).

A superb defensive record has been the key to Nice accruing 32 points from their first 15 matches. The Eaglets have only conceded six times in Ligue 1 and have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five away from home.

They'll be confident of recording another shutout this weekend, with Le Havre without a goal at Stade Oceane since that win over Clermont on September 24.

Nantes vs Brest (Sunday, 12:00)

Ninth hosts fifth at Stade de la Beaujoire in the Sunday lunchtime kick-off, with an in-form Brest side looking for a fourth victory in their last five games.

It's not been good-going for Nantes recently, with just one win in their last six, but those three points did come at home to inflict a first defeat of the season on Nice.

Nantes started the season slowly at home, failing to win in their first three there, but they've now won three of their last five at Stade de la Beaujoire, keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Brest have won their last two away from home, but they came against Metz and Montpellier, both of whom are in the bottom-half of the table.

I think Nantes have enough to burst the Brest bubble, particularly after a spirited showing at PSG last weekend, where it took an 83rd-minute winner from Randal Kolo Muani to down them 2-1.

Olympique Marseille vs Clermont (Sunday, 16:05)

Marseille have one of the best home records in Ligue 1 so far, with only PSG (19), Nice and Monaco (both 18) having picked up more points at their own ground, and the first two have played a game more.

Even more impressively, Genaro Gattuso's side have only conceded once at Stade Velodrome.

They've also been strong starters, scoring in the first half of five league games there and going into the lead at half-time in four of them, which they subsequently won.

Clermont have only picked up six points on the road this term and have failed to score in two of their last three away games. All three of their away defeats have seen the opposition go into the lead at half-time.