Everything will therefore be decided next week. We will have to wait a little longer, until next Saturday and the last day of Ligue 1, to find out who will accompany PSG in the Champions League and who will slide into Ligue 2. While Kylian Mbappé’s partners were taking a health walk in a match without stake in Montpellier (0-4), the goals and twists multiplied on the other lawns of Ligue 1.
Marseille trembles for the Champions League
The fight for European places promised to be thrilling, captivating. She was. And, a week before the verdicts, the big loser of the evening is called Marseille. Dominated in Rennes (2-0), in a clash between direct competitors for the second ticket for the Champions League, the players of Jorge Sampaoli carried out the bad operation of the 37th day. For several weeks, they have multiplied failures and disappointments (they were beaten in the semi-finals of the Europa League Conference by Feyenoord in early May). The latest this Saturday when, defeated in Brittany, they saw Monaco dislodge them from their place of dolphin of PSG.
“It’s hard to lose 2nd place, especially since we’ve been 2nd all season so it hurts a bit tonight, confided Sampaoli. Now it is no longer up to us. But there remains this last decisive match at the Vélodrome (…). We were overwhelmed especially on actions without the ball. And when we had the ball, we lacked precision (…). We weren’t at the level we hoped for. The Rennais were better in duels, better on both surfaces and more efficient. »
Untenable, irresistible Monegasques, for weeks recording their ninth success in a row. After being led 0-2 by Brest, they reversed the situation in a few minutes thanks to the inevitable Wissam Ben Yedder (4-2). The French international striker scored a hat-trick in 11 minutes. With his 22, 23 and 24th achievements, he is getting closer to Kylian Mbappé, leader of the scorer rankings with 25 goals.
On equal points, Monaco, which moves to Lens (7th) next week, has the advantage in goal average over Marseille, who will receive Strasbourg (5th). Fourth with a goal difference clearly favorable to their opponents, Rennes can still hope to grab 3rd place, synonymous with the preliminary round for the prestigious continental competition. The other loser of the evening in the race for Europe is called Nice, beaten on its lawn by Lille (1-3), the former club of Christophe Galtier. Les Aiglons are now 6th.
Bordeaux one foot in Ligue 2
At the bottom of the table also the evening kept its promises. They were four before the day to be under the threat of relegation to Ligue 2. They are now only three. In the match of fear, Lorient (17th) went to seek a draw at the red lantern Bordeaux (0-0). A point, a very small point, which allows the Bretons to take shelter definitively.
For the Girondins, on the other hand, if relegation is still not official mathematically, it would take a miracle and a large success worthy of a district match to avoid one of the last two places. They have a handicap of 3 points and 6 goals against Saint-Étienne (19th, 31 pts) and 12 goals against the barrage Metz (18th, 31 pts). Their maintenance is a mirage, an optical illusion. After 30 years in Ligue 1, the six-time French champion will be in Ligue 2 next season. Saint-Étienne and Metz will compete for the place of play-off next week respectively in Nantes and PSG.
