Battle of the Leagues Matchday 3: Will Premier League, LaLiga or Bundesliga join Ligue 1 in semifinals?

We've reached the nail-biting conclusion of the group stage in ESPN's Battle of the Leagues, presented by EA Sports FIFA 22, and every single one of Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Eredivisie, Major League Soccer and Liga MX still has a shot of reaching next week's semifinals.

There is a heavyweight clash in Group A with Bundesliga vs. Ligue 1, with Major League Soccer taking on LaLiga to settle who progresses; in Group B, Serie A vs. Eredivisie and Premier League vs. Liga MX will finalise the other half of the draw in our tournament, simulated on EA Sports' FIFA 22.

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In Group A, Julien Laurens' Ligue 1 team have been befitting of their status as defending champions, winning their first two matches to guarantee progress into the semifinals with a game to spare.

For Gab Marcotti's Bundesliga side to join them, they may need to do what they couldn't in last year's final: beat Ligue 1 in order to qualify. If that doesn't happen, the door is open for either Nedum Onuoha's Major League Soccer all-stars or Rodrigo Faez's LaLiga selection to grab second spot if either of them can win their match-up.

Group B is on a real knife-edge. The Eredivisie squad, managed by Fresia Cousino Arias, has been the surprise package of the tournament, winning their first two matches -- including a shock win over Mark Ogden's Premier League All-Stars on Matchday 2 despite playing most of the game with 10 men.

However, the Eredivisie could still fail to reach the semifinals if they lose their last group match against Kay Murray's Serie A team and the Premier League wins against Herc Gomez's Liga MX side.

Even Liga MX could still make the final four despite being the only Group B team yet to win -- they need to defeat the Premier League by at least two goals and hope that the Eredivisie beats Serie A.

You can catch up on the tournament rules and format here, then check out below to see the team selections, tactics and prematch chat before watching highlights of the matches and managers' real-time reactions.

Jump to: Bundesliga vs. Ligue 1 | MLS vs. LaLiga | Serie A vs. Eredivisie | Premier League vs. Liga MX | Results, match stats & standings

GROUP A

BUNDESLIGA vs. LIGUE 1

MANAGERS' PREMATCH BRIEFINGS

Gab Marcotti (Bundesliga)

"OK, so we were held by to a 1-1 draw by LaLiga because they got a nonsense penalty -- for the second straight game, I might add! Our finishing let us down, but I have no choice: I must continue to put my trust in Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland. I might be a bit more aggressive this time around and push wingers Moussa Diaby and Filip Kostic further forward to offer support. Maybe that will also stop Haaland from dropping into midfield all the time, which I found very frustrating against LaLiga.

"At the back, I'm giving Stefan Lainer the start over Mukiele on the right. I liked the idea of attacking full-backs, but frankly, Mukiele has been all over the place defensively. Since we're being more aggressive further forward, I reckon it's worth taking a bit extra care at the back against Neymar and Lionel Messi. I'm sticking with Edmond Tapsoba ahead of Matthias Ginter at the back. He's probably my fastest central defender, and I get a sense that's important in FIFA.

"Axel Witsel returns from injury in midfield, so he goes straight in for Denis Zakaria. If we win, we're through and Ligue 1 have nothing to play for, so I'm pretty confident. I figure our luck has to turn at some point."

Julien Laurens (Ligue 1)

"Considering we're already through to the semifinal, and already certain to finish top of our group as well, I have decided to rotate my squad and even change our tactical formation. This group has been too easy for us so far, and it will be good to rest some key players like Lionel Messi and Houssem Aouar. The Bundesliga have been so underwhelming in this competition, so this is a good opportunity to try different things.

"It will be interesting to see how the team does with a front two and without Messi. In midfield, I'm also trying a few different options. This is what great teams do. They are able to rest, rotate and try new players in their last group game because they have been so good and dominant before. This is where we are as a unit. I've told the players starting that this is their chance to impress me as well and show me they deserve to start in the semifinal. I'm thinking especially about Kylian Mbappe, who has been a bit frustrating, to start on the bench the first two games. He will start against the Bundesliga alongside Wissam Ben Yedder up front and has a point to prove.

"Overall, I'm curious to see how the back three and the 3-4-1-2 with Neymar as a No. 10 fares against this kind of opposition, and I also expect a solid performance overall from my boys, even if the Bundesliga first team has to be favourite against my B or C team!"

TEAMS & TACTICS

Bundesliga: 4-2-4, fast buildup (attack), press after long ball (defence)

First XI: Manuel Neuer; Stefan Lainer, Mats Hummels, Edmond Tapsoba, Angelino; Moussa Diaby, Joshua Kimmich, Axel Witsel, Filip Kostic; Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland

Substitutes: Andreas Luthe, Nordi Mukiele, Matthias Ginter, Raphael Guerreiro, Serge Gnabry, Andrej Kramaric, Denis Zakaria

Ligue 1: 3-4-1-2, balanced (attack), constant pressure (defence)

First XI: Anthony Lopes; Marquinhos, Jason Denayer, Facundo Medina; Youcef Atal, Benjamin Andre, Renato Sanches, Boubacar Kamara; Neymar; Wissam Ben Yedder, Kylian Mbappe

Substitutes: Pau Lopez, Hamari Traore, Tiago Djalo, Nuno Mendes, Houssem Aouar, Gelson Martins, Lionel Messi