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Friendly Roundup: The Weekend in Ligue 1

With the start of the Ligue 1 McDonald's season growing ever closer, many French sides were in action over the weekend. Catch up on all the action here.
Luke Entwistle
Published on 08/04/2025 at 17:00
3-minute read
AS Monaco's Takumi Minamino in action against Ajax

With the start of the Ligue 1 McDonald's season growing ever closer, many French sides were in action over the weekend. Catch up on all the action here.

Brest register win over Italian champions

 

Brest registered their fourth win of pre-season against Napoli. Eric Roy's side made the trip to Italy, beating a Napoli side (2-0) that included former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, thanks to a brace from Ludovic Ajorque, whose move to the Stade Francis Le-Blé was made permanent earlier this summer. 

 

There was also a win for newly promoted Lorient, who beat Welsh side Swansea. Les Merlus netted all three of their goals in the first half of the encounter. Pablo Pagis netted the first two before Mohamed Bamba netted the third from the spot. 

Meanwhile, there were draws for two of last season's top three. PSG are yet to play a pre-season fixture as they continue to recover from their Club World Cup campaign, however, Marseille and Monaco are currently in full swing with the return of Ligue 1 McDonald's less than two weeks away. OM continued their preparations with a 1-1 draw against La Liga side Sevilla. Mason Greenwood got the goal for Roberto De Zerbi's side. 

Biereth and Minamino on target for Monaco

Monaco also drew. Adi Hütter's side made the trip to the Netherlands to face Ajax. The Principality club were pegged back late on in a 2-2 draw. Mika Biereth netted his fourth of pre-season, whilst Takumi Minamino was also on the scoresheet for Monaco, who get their Ligue 1 McDonald's campaign underway against Le Havre. 

Didier Digard's side drew 1-1 against newly promoted Paris FC. Issa Soumaré got Le Havre's goal, whilst Pythou Hamel got Les Parisiens' only goal of the game. There was also a draw for Rennes, who were held 1-1 by La Liga side Real Sociedad. Mohamed Kader Meïte got Les Rennais' only goal of the game. They will conclude their pre-season preparations against Genoa later this week. 

 Elsewhere, Angers beat Nantes thanks to a goal from Esteban Lepaul (1-0). Another of the teams promoted to Ligue 1 McDonald's during the 2023/24 campaign, Auxerre, were in action, losing 2-0 against Ipswich Town, who next season will compete in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League. Lens also tasted defeat. Pierre Sage's side came up against a familiar face in the form of Neil El-Aynaoui, who left the club to join Roma earlier this summer. The Serie A side came out 2-0 winners in that game.

Their opponents on the opening day of the season, Lyon, also tasted defeat against Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. England youth international Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez was on the scoresheet for OL, who lost 2-1 due to a Michael Olise brace.

Lille also lost against German opposition, coming out on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller against Borussia Dortmund. Hákon Arnar Haraldsson and Thomas Meunier scored for Lille, whilst former Rennais Sehrou Guirassy was on the scoresheet for Borussia Dortmund as they came out 3-2 winners. 

 

Metz, returning to Ligue 1 McDonald's this season, registered a slender 1-0 win over Troyes thanks to Gauthier Hein's strike, and finally, Toulouse had a day to forget as they lost 6-0 to Stuttgart.

 

Read more:

 

>> 25/26 Season Preview: SCO Angers

>> 25/26 Season Preview: AJ Auxerre

 

Photo: AS Monaco

 

 
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