Who will be on the Ligue 1 podium? What will be the nice surprise? Will Mbappé finish top scorer? The Figaro sports department shares its predictions for the 2022-23 season.
The podium: Lyon and Monaco behind PSG
Not a single one of our journalists sees a club other than Paris Saint-Germain winning the title. The capital club, which sent a message during the Champions Trophy against Nantes (4-0), seems untouchable. Behind, Olympique Lyonnais is almost unanimous. Peter Bosz was maintained. The returns of Tolisso and Lacazette should be enough to dominate Ligue 1, especially in a season without the European Cup.
To complete the podium, we give a slight advantage to Monaco ahead of Rennes, respectively 3rd and 4th last season. A small voice has been raised for OGC Nice, its ambitious recruitment and the return of coach Lucien Favre. Finally, one of our journalists, a follower of Italian football, was conquered by the passage of Igor Tudor on the bench of Hellas Verona. Despite a difficult start to the adventure, the OM coach has time to hope to raise the bar.
SEE ALSO – The goals and summary of PSG-Nantes in the Champions Trophy on July 31 (4-0)
The relegated: Ajaccio and Clermont condemned?
Not two, not three, but four clubs will go down to Ligue 2. Like champion PSG, all our journalists see AC Ajaccio making the leap. The Corsican club has the smallest budget in Ligue 1. Clermont seems to us to be on track to support it, without its striker Mohamed Bayo, transferred to Lille. With them, we hesitated between Lorient, Troyes and Angers. The first two have, unfortunately for them, our favors. Mistrust for the case of the promoted Auxerre. One of our journalists even sees FC Nantes, surprising 9th last season, falling back into the antechamber of L1.
Top scorer: Mbappé, of course
There is no shadow of a doubt: Kylian Mbappé will be, for the 5th consecutive season, the top scorer in Ligue 1. No member of our editorial staff sees Wissam Ben Yedder (25 goals in 2021-22 with Monaco ) if only to tickle it. Mbappé’s main competition may be in his squad. One of our journalists points out that, if Lionel Messi stops finding the posts, and takes all the PSG penalties, then maybe…
Read alsoChampions Trophy: finally the real Messi in Paris?
The surprise: an eye on Auxerre and Strasbourg
Ten years later, AJ Auxerre is back in Ligue 1. And two of our journalists want to believe in a comfortable hold, even a place in the middle of the table. Difficult not to ignite with the AJA of Jean-Marc Furlan, apostle of attacking football, that his team plays the rise in L2 or the maintenance in L1. We are just as impatient to spy on Strasbourg, 6th last season. European this year? Credible. Our discussions led us to talk about Toulouse, easy champion of L2, but also some rookies, such as Belgian striker Loïs Openda (Lens), attacking Takumi Minamino (Monaco) and defensive midfielder Alexis Beka Beka (Nice).
The flop: Marseille, it smells of crisis
In the space of three months, Olympique de Marseille went from day to night. Jorge Sampaoli resigned, Igor Tudor replaced him and the players do not adhere to his methods, which contrast with those of the Argentinian. These internal turmoil fall badly while OM will find the Champions League and, surely, leave feathers there. Far from the Old Port, one of our editorial staff has doubts about Lyon’s nostalgia. The returns of Lacazette and Tolisso, which delight the supporters, will they translate on the ground? Finally, one of our journalists wants to be pessimistic for FC Nantes, winner of the Coupe de France and qualified for the Europa League. Beware of a hangover for the Canaries.
