After an enthralling 2020-2021 campaign, the new season has plenty to live up to. Following intriguing signings and many coaching changes, the race for the 2021-2022 Ligue 1 Uber Eats podium promises to be both unpredictable and exciting.
ligue1.com's David Crossan provides you with his top three picks and is aware this evidence will be used against him following the final kick of the season.*
CHAMPIONS - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Only three times since the Qatari takeover of the capital club in 2011 (2012, 2017, 2021) have Paris Saint-Germain failed to win the title. While Montpellier, Monaco and Lille have prevented a PSG clean sweep over the last decade, the club has always proved capable of bouncing back from a second-placed finish by winning the title the following season.
The Trophée des Champions loss to champions LOSC in Tel Aviv acted as a wake-up call to Mauricio Pochettino's squad that they cannot afford to start the coming season as slowly as they did last time out when they fell to defeat in their opening two matches. International competitions mean Pochettino hasn't been able to work with his full squad over the summer but I still expect the Argentinian's charges to come out on top. They must improve their record against the other teams as last season PSG won only one of their matches against fellow top-four sides, losing four times.
PSG have signed shrewdly. Strengthened by the arrivals of UEFA EURO 2020 player of the tournament Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos, they have by the far the best squad and what it takes to finish 2021-2022 as champions.
RUNNERS-UP - MONACO
Monaco's 2021 Ligue 1 Uber Eats record is the best in the division with Niko Kovac's side having claimed a remarkable 51 points from 21 league games. Whereas last season it took time for Kovac to get his methods across and hit upon his best system, the Principality club should come flying out of the blocks in 2021-2022, despite the pressures of attempting to make it through the Champions League qualifying rounds.
Entertaining to watch, Monaco have kept the core of their 2020-2021 team in place and have made some interesting acquisitions in forward Myron Boadu - signed to replace the out-of-contract Stevan Jovetic - midfielder Jean Lucas, wing-back Ismail Jakobs and goalkeeper Alexander Nübel.
Work has been completed on Monaco's stunning training ground at La Turbie and all the building blocks are in place for Kovac's team to push PSG all the way. Tough to break down, Monaco are always a goal threat with Boadu adding his potential to the reliable Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland.
THIRD - LILLE
While I'm convinced PSG and Monaco will finish as the top two in the division, choosing the third-placed club is a deal more problematic. Jorge Sampaoli's Marseille have signed well and their all-action style will make them a great watch, while pre-season suggests that Peter Bosz's Lyon will also be involved in games laden with goals and excitement. Having left champions Lille, Christophe Galtier will get Nice organised and the new Dutch signings playing well, and I'm tipping Les Aiglons for a podium finish in… 2022-2023.
My pick for third is Lille despite Galtier's departure, though my selection is based on not many more players following Mike Maignan and Boubakary Soumaré out of the Les Dogues door. New boss Jocelyn Gourvennec has sensibly decided to stick with Galtier's tactics and to empower the title-winning squad. 37-year-old José Fonte has signed up for one more season and he and his fellow experienced players Burak Yilmaz and Benjamin André will need to have another fine season if LOSC are to finish on the podium.
* These are David Crossan's personal views
