Weekend Ligue 1 Predictions: Best Bets for Gameweek 22 in France

It's been a while since the weekend Ligue 1 Best Bets column has made an appearance, but ahead of Gameweek 22, it is well and truly back.

There are two games taking place on Saturday, one of which features the 2022-23 French champions, and it is Kylian Mbappe and co who appear first on this column. Because there hasn't been enough discussion about him and the club this week.

The second and third suggestions are the penultimate and final matches of the weekend, with both seeing European sides taking tough away trips after disappointing results in their Europa League play-off first-leg ties in midweek.

FC Nantes vs Paris Saint-Germain (Saturday, 20:00)

The reigning Ligue 1 champions are unbeaten in all competitions since November 7, when they lost 2-1 to AC Milan in the Champions League group stage. That was one of just three defeats for them so far this season, with only one of them - a 3-2 loss to OGC Nice in September - coming in the league.

The Parisians are also fresh off a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the first-leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie. However, the match was not as comfortable as the result might suggest, with head coach Luis Enrique far from impressed by the first-half performance of his side.

PSG managed to keep a clean sheet on Wednesday, but that was their first for a month as they went five games without managing a shutout, despite playing lower-league outfit Orleans in the Coupe de France during that period.

Their deficiencies in defence should provide some encouragement for Nantes on Saturday night, despite the Canaries' struggles in front of goal. Nantes went three games without scoring before ending their drought last Sunday against Toulouse, whom they beat 2-1 away from home.

PSG should win this weekend, but their opponents can get themselves on the scoresheet against Enrique's men for the second time this season after running the French giants close in the reverse fixture in Paris last December, when the home side emerged 2-1 winners thanks to an 83rd-minute Randal Kolo Muani strike.

Stade Reims vs RC Lens (Sunday, 16:05)

It's been tough-going for Will Still and his Reims charges of late, with the Red and Whites without a win in their last three Ligue 1 outings.

A meeting with one of the division's most in-form sides - who have won their last three - doesn't sound particularly appealing, but there are reasons to be optimistic about Reims' chances of victory on Sunday.

The visitors are on the back of a disappointing 0-0 draw with Freiburg in the first-leg of their Europa League play-off tie, with the second-leg taking place just four days after this game.

Lens are likely to have one eye on that clash, which could see a hurt Reims side take advantage. Plus, while Lens' away record looks good on the eye - only four clubs have taken more points on the road - they've only actually won four of their 11 matches away from Stade Bollaert-Delelis, and none of those clubs are inside the league's top nine (Reims currently occupy ninth spot).

With so much on the line for Lens next week, and Still searching for a reaction from his players, Reims look well-placed to pick up a vital three points here.

Stade Brest vs Olympique Marseille (Sunday, 19:45)

Olympique Marseille are unbeaten at Stade Velodrome this season, taking 23 points from 11 games, but only 16th-placed Lorient (six) have taken fewer points away from home than Gennaro Gattuso's side (seven from 10).

In fact, Lorient are the only team Marseille have beaten on the road in Ligue 1, and that was back on December 10.

Stade Brest, meanwhile, have collected 19 points from 10 matches at Stade Francis-Le Ble - only five clubs can beat their tally at home.

PSG are actually the only side to have won at Brest's home this season - back in October - and the Pirates are unbeaten in league action since November 5.

Brest have drawn their last three in Ligue 1, though, and will be desperate to return to winning ways this weekend.

Against a Marseille side that looks lost away from home and has an important Europa League playoff tie against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday, Brest should be confident of taking the victory and pursuing an unlikely Champions League berth.

There should be goals in this one, too, with Marseille scoring in six of their last eight away games in all competitions and Brest having only kept one clean sheet in their last five.

Check out the rest of our Football Betting Tips here.