Ligue 1 round 1

Rennes v Boulogne
Valenciennes v Nancy
Auxerre v Sochaux
St Etienne v Nice
Grenoble v Marseille
Monaco v Toulouse
Montpellier v PSG
Le Mans v Lyon
Lille v Lorient
Bordeaux v Lens

Bordeaux kick off the defence of their title at home to promoted Lens and with Yoann Gourcuff signed up on a four-year deal. They also still have Marouane Chamakh available despite his none-too-subtle attempts to engineer a move. With the Moroccan able to leave for nothing in a years time, Arsenal won't improve their offer and he now looks likely to go elsewhere. Either way, he's not hanging about. Fernando Cavenaghi is back to lead the line and Cedric Carraso, probably the best French goalkeeper last season, joins from Toulouse. Last year's runners up have been subject to change with Eric Gerets moving to Saudi Arabia and being replaced with Didier Deschamps. It's all change in the boardroom too, while Gabriel Heinze, Fernando Morientes and Lucho Gonzalez all come into the side. They start up in the hills of Grenoble.

Lyon are also in a period of change. For the first time in ages, they're not defending champions and they're without Juninho and Karim Benzema, both moved on to pastures new. Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis come in as replacements, but they both look like trade-downs rather than ups. Frederic Piquionne looks to be on his way to the Premier League in England, but Lisandro Lopez is a great signing. They have a gentle start at Le Mans. PSG's main change is Antoine Kombouaré as manager and he's added Mevlut Erding and Gregory Coupet to an otherwise stable squad. Claude Makelele's legs are going to be under pressure to carry him around for another season and they're down south for the opener against Montpellier.

Toulouse fell away a bit last season, but they've managed to keep hold of André-Pierre Gignac after Lyon did their level best to unsettle the player. They're in the Principality this week, but Monaco's top target of the summer - Caen's Steve Savidan - won't be playing. His move to Monaco was called off when his medical revealed a heart defect and the French international has retired. While wishing him well, that leaves Monaco looking short of goals. Auxerre have strengthened, taking Alexandre Licata from Monaco to provide Ireneusz Jelen - very much a one-man band at times last season - some support. They're not going to win the title, but look out for them in the cups and in the frame for Europe. They begin at home to Sochaux who have held onto Vaclav Sverkos, but have little else going for them.

St Etienne have lost Gomis to Lyon, but still have Blaise Matuidi, at least for now. A target for Arsenal, he's still a St Etienne player while up front, more will rest on the shoulders of Araujo Ilan now Gomis is gone. Not that the fans will miss Gomis who had come in for some vocal criticism last season from the terraces. They play Nice who have Mamadou Bagayoko on board and have retained international striker Loic Remy. Lille's young side will miss Bastos, but players like Eden Hazard are a year older, wiser and most importantly, stronger. Mickael Landreau adds quality and experience in goal and they face Lorient this week. Valenciennes will miss their boss of the last few seasons, Kombouaré, and look to have a fight for survival at the top table and a game against Nancy will see how they measure up to their rivals while promoted Boulogne have a tough trip to Rennes for whom Jimmy Briand and the evergreen Mickael Pagis will be the main goal threats.