PSG and Monaco prepare to do battle in Qatar as Ligue 1 resumes in France

paul myers

Sat, 4 Jan 2025, 4:32 am·2-min read

PSG boss Luis Enrique (left) will lead his side against Monaco in the Trophée des Champions, while Nice coach Franck Haise attempts to consolidate his team's promising start to their Ligue 1 campaign.

As the Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco squads are put through their paces in the heat of Doha for the final of the Trophée des Champions, some 6,000km away in the comparative chill of the French Riviera, Nice and Rennes kicked off the second half of the Ligue 1 season on Friday night.

When France's top flight paused on 18 December, Nice lay in sixth spot with 24 points from 15 games. Rennes were further down the food chain in 12th with 17 points – four points from the relegation places to Ligue 2.

Nice's 3-2 victory at the Allianz Riviera took them up to fourth to keep Franck Haise's men in the mix for one of the spots in next season's European competitions.

"The break has been good for everyone," said Haise on the eve of the game.

Three Ligue 1 games take place on Saturday and four more on Sunday, including second-placed Marseille's match against second from bottom Le Havre.

Marseille will be expected to beat a team who lost five of their seven matches on the road before the Christmas break.

Should they take all three points they will move to within seven of Ligue 1 pacesetters PSG, who beat Monaco 4-2 in Ligue 1 just before Christmas.

Just over a fortnight on from the match at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, the teams meet again at the 974 Stadium in Doha for a game that traditionally pits the Ligue 1 champions against the winners of the Coupe de France.

Since PSG won both trophies last season, Monaco – who came second in Ligue 1 – will play for a title known as the Super Cup in several other leading European leagues.