Struggles of Top Ligue 1 Clubs in Champions League Race: A Look at Key Player Failures

The 28th day perhaps marked a turning point in the race for the top 4, and therefore for the Champions League. There are now five points difference between Lille, 4th, and Nice, 5th. Lens (6th), Marseille (8th) and Rennes (9th) are not doing any better, not to mention Olympique Lyonnais who are happy to no longer have to fight for their survival.

Aiglons, Sang et Or, Phocéens and Bretons won, between them and over the last three days, two matches. And this is how this little herd will find themselves fighting, certainly, for qualifications in the Europa League, or even in the Europa Conference League. Big collective failures, partly linked to recruits whose arrivals last summer were accompanied by immense hopes. In vain.

Jérémie Boga, the failure who sums it all up

He arrived on the Côte d’Azur with the label of a special player, for 17 million euros. With high esteem from his coach Francesco Farioli, who worked with him at Sassuolo, a team where he was able to reach the mark of 11 goals in Serie A in 2019-2020. But after 28 days, what do we remember? His huge failure last week in Reims (0-0), if we have a short memory.

More generally, flashes linked to his exceptional qualities in one-on-one situations, like this goal to give the Gym victory against Monaco last September. Above average technical qualities, too. But on arrival, there is always this inability to improve its efficiency. “I assume being the technical leader of the team. But I also know that I can still do a lot more, especially in terms of finishing,” he admitted before hosting Nantes at the end of March. “He must be more decisive,” confirmed his coach.

The summary of his career so far. The summary, too, of an OGCN which is one of the five worst attacks in Ligue 1. Boga is not the individuality who should be singled out the most in Nice this season, far from it. But it also did not allow the Aiglons to reach the expected level.

Jérémie Boga ahead of Amine Harit (Nice-OM)

Credit: Imago

Elye Wahi, the explosion will wait

It was a very big blow and a strong message sent by RC Lens last summer. To offer himself, for 30 million euros and despite competition from several foreign teams, a scorer who remained in a season with 19 goals in Montpellier, in 33 matches. With the Sang et Or, he has made 32 matches in all competitions… for 10 goals.

The statistics do not live up to the high expectations that accompany the international Espoirs. The attitude is not always there either, to the point of having encouraged his trainer Franck Haise to “send him a message” by putting him on the bench during the derby in Lille, two weeks ago.

We will not question everything, especially not in the Champions League, where he scored against Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven, even less in 2024, where he has scored five times in his last seven appearances in Ligue 1. But like Lens, the native of Courcouronnes has not confirmed his excellent last season. Even if there remains hope, collective as well as individual, of ending on a (very) good note.

Elye Wahi during the round of 16 second leg of the Europa League between Lens and Friborg

Credit: Getty Images

Ismaïla Sarr follows the curve

13 million euros for a Senegalese international snatched against 30 million euros in Rennes by Watford four years earlier, it looked like a fair deal for OM. But the drop in the rating of the player once promised to the top Premier League clubs was not a coincidence.

The former Metz player remained on one season in the Championship and did not really impress on his return to Ligue 1. He is, for the moment, on the basis of his least convincing statistical seasons, with five goals and six assists. decisive goals in 30 matches in all competitions. Almost the same results as during… his first professional season with the Garnets (5 goals, 5 assists in 33 matches).

This fits the curve of a career which has not yet taken off, despite great promise shown at Rennes then Watford. That of OM under Jean-Louis Gasset, too. Sarr woke up at the same time as his teammates, before relapsing and experiencing a new physical problem which deprived him of defeats against Paris and Lille.

Ismail Sarr (OM).

Credit: Getty Images

Blas, symbol of a recruitment that flopped

He was part, alongside Enzo Le Fée and Nemanja Matic, among others, of Rennes’ ambitious recruitment last summer (58 million euros spent in total). But Ludovic Blas, like the first two, embodies a strategy on the market which has not paid off. Matic left after six months to join OL, Le Fée returned from an injury of more than a month and has not fully confirmed his very good progress observed in Lorient.

Blas was initially an essential part of Bruno Genesio’s eleven, with a few flashes but uneven performances. Then he saw his playing time dwindle with the arrival of Julien Stéphan, who made him a replacement before giving him a little more chance in recent weeks.

One more player arriving with high expectations, one more disappointment. Because his case joins, to a certain extent, those of Amine Gouiri and especially Arnaud Kalimuendo, who must do much more for Rennes to reach the heights that we have the right to expect from a club which has spent on average 80 million euros on the market per season since 2020-2021.

Ludovic Blas during Villarreal – Rennes in the Europa League, October 5, 2023

Credit: Getty Images

2024-04-11 21:41:00
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