Ethan Mbappé took centre stage on Sunday night, scoring a late leveller for Lille against former club PSG. The 18-year-old impressed his big brother, who was in the stands, and Across the Channel host Matt Spiro! This week, Matt is joined by George Boxall and Luke Entwistle and examine the Round 7 action in France as stylish Strasbourg put five past Angers, Marseille swat Metz aside and Monaco are held by Nice in the derby. Has Adi Hutter (#ASMonaco) lost the dressing room, just how good is Valentine Barco (#RCSA) and will poor old #FCMetz manage to get a single win this season… The panel answer those questions and much more!
Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais lead the standings after winning at the weekend, but Olympique de Marseille should also be considered title contenders after a wonderful week in which they won Le Classique and then triumphed in Strasbourg. Matt Spiro is joined by French football experts Andy Scott and Tom Williams to look back at another fantastic weekend of drama in Ligue 1, during which the referees came in for more stick and Lorient wonderkid Pablo Pagis sunk Monaco with a brilliant double.
Never before have we witnessed wild celebrations both in Marseille and in Paris on the night of a 'Classique', but that was the case on Monday as the Mediterranean giants clinched their first home victory over the capital club in 14 years, before PSG superstar Ousmane Dembélé was crowned as Ballon d'Or winner. Matt Spiro is joined by Paris-based expert Jonathan Johnson and Marseille-based reporter George Boxall to look back at a wonderful night for French football both on and off the pitch - and run the rule over the big Ligue 1 talking points from the weekend.
The Champions League is back and France's three participants all geared up for their campaigns by securing victories at the weekend. Host Matt Spiro asks guests Tom Williams and Andy Scott if Marseille, Monaco and PSG are ready for the challenges that lie ahead. There's also a fascinating chat about Strasbourg, Chelsea, Emanuel Emegha and multi-club ownership, we look at Ethan Mbappé's progress at Lille, plus Ligue 1's referees come under scrutiny after another flurry of red cards in Round 4.
Host Matt Spiro is joined by 'Across the Channel' regular Jonathan Johnson and a special guest this week as the former Strasbourg, Nantes and AS Roma midfielder Ricardo Faty makes his debut on the pod. As well as discussing Les Bleus' two opening World Cup qualifying victories against Ukraine and Iceland, Ricardo speaks candidly about his time as a boy at Clairefontaine - what he learned at France's esteemed academy and why the place is so special - and opens up on the subject dual nationality. The ex-midfielder, who played for France at youth level before representing Senegal, offers fascinating insight on a topic that continues to stir debate in the French media.
Host Matt Spiro is joined on the Pod by French football expert Luke Entwistle to discuss all the latest updates from Ligue 1. Luke brings his in-depth knowledge of Monaco and Nice to assess their contrasting starts to the new season. We debate whether Joao Neves's stunning goals in PSG's 6-3 win at Toulouse is the most spectacular hat-trick of all time. Lille go one better than the Champions by putting seven past Lorient. And Lyon, despite a summer of chaos, have maximum points after edging out bitter rivals Marseille.
Host Matt Spiro is joined by French football specialists Jonathan Johnson and Baptiste Reynaud to run the rule over another crazy weekend in Ligue 1. Adrien Rabiot is at the heart of some animated chat as Marseille recover from a tumultuous week to put five goals past Paris FC. There's more love for Olivier Giroud - and for Lille boss Bruno Genesio - after the vital win over Monaco, plus the guys assess PSG's start and wonder if there is a penalty-taking problem following Ousmane Dembélé's miss.
Host Matt Spiro is joined by French football writer & broadcaster Tom Williams and Ligue 1 commentator Andy Scott to discuss the major talking points in France’s top flight after a dramatic opening weekend. Find out who our experts are tipping to be the best summer signing, the biggest flop, the youngster who is about to explode, which team is ready to ‘do a Brest’ and who will finish top of the scoring charts... oh, and why Andy was left cursing Nantes boss Luis Castro at the Beaujoire on Sunday. #Ligue1 #France #football
