The Ligue 1 season is soon coming to an end and the final sprint is underway for all the contenders for next season’s European Cups. From Monaco, second, to Marseille, ninth, places are expensive to snag a continental ticket. RMC Sport takes stock one day before the end of the French championship.
There are two matches left to play in Ligue 1 in this 2023-2024 season, and almost all eyes are on the top of the rankings. If Paris will be able to celebrate its 12th French championship title on Sunday at the Parc des Princes against Toulouse – at the same time as it will say goodbye to the best player in its history, Kylian Mbappé – the contenders for Europe are still on the who lives. Because there is still something at stake for all the clubs hoping to compete in a continental cup next season.
Champions League: Monaco towards direct qualification, two places for three between Brest, Lille and Nice
Large winner of Clermont (4-1) last week at Louis-II, Monaco validated its top 4 at the end of the season. Adi Hütter’s men are therefore guaranteed to compete, at a minimum, in the Champions League play-offs next season. And they only need one point to obtain – perhaps as early as Sunday in Montpellier – to confirm a top 3, synonymous with direct qualification in the C1 group stage.
As a reminder, the first three in Ligue 1 are qualified directly for the group stage of the 2024-2025 Champions League, while the 4th must go through a 3rd qualifying round then a possible play-off to join the C1 group stage .
Behind ASM, the fight is tight to grab one of the two remaining tickets between Brest (3rd, 58 points), Lille (4th, 55 points) and Nice (5th, 54 points). Held in check at home by Reims (1-1), the Bretons can see LOSC overtake them on goal difference if the Dogues succeed against Nantes on Sunday. Even if the Canaries want to take the opportunity to move away from the play-off position… Everything could then be decided during the final day of Ligue 1, where Brest will travel to Toulouse while Lille will host… Nice .
The Aiglons seem, a priori, in the most complicated position to snag a ticket for the C1 with a late match to be played next Wednesday against PSG at home, before going to Lille during D38.
Sunday’s matches (9 p.m.) for the C1 contenders:
Montpellier-Monaco
Nantes-Lille
Europa League / Europa Conference League: one (or two) elected between Lens, Lyon, Rennes and Marseille
Logically, the big loser of the Champions League aspirants – whether Brest, Lille or Nice – is the favorite to clinch 5th place, synonymous with qualification for the group stage of the Europa League. But Lens cannot be completely excluded, since the Artésiens, currently 6th with 49 points, can still mathematically overtake OGC Nice if they win their last two matches (and the Gym gives up points along the way). And the suspense could well continue behind…
As a reminder, the 5th in Ligue 1 and the winner of the Coupe de France are qualified directly for the group stage of the Europa League while the 6th is transferred to the play-offs of the Europa Conference League. In the event of a victory for PSG against Lyon in the final of the Coupe de France, the clubs finishing the season in 5th and 6th places would qualify directly for C3, and the 7th would compete in the C4 play-offs.
Currently 9th with 44 points, OM can still hope to compete in the C3 or C4 next season. For this, the Phocéens no longer have the right to make mistakes and will not only have to win their last meeting at the Vélodrome against Lorient on Sunday, but also win in Reims in the middle of next week then in Le Havre. A matter far from simple for Jean-Louis Gasset’s players, 17th away this season with… two small successes.
For Rennes, 8th, Sunday’s clash against Lens crystallizes all hopes. In the event of a victory, the Bretons would come back one step behind Lensois, before traveling to Reims on the last day.
OL, 7th with 47 points, has a direct possibility of obtaining its ticket for the C3 in the event of success in the final of the Coupe de France, on May 25. But it is an understatement to say that the Lyonnais will not be favorites against PSG. Therefore, Pierre Sage’s players have every interest in trying to reach Europe via the championship. Sunday against neighbor Clermont, already relegated, there will be no room for error. Before trying to finish in style at Groupama Stadium against Strasbourg.
Sunday’s matches (9 p.m.) for the C3/C4 contenders:
Rennes-Lens
Clermont-Lyon
Marseille-Lorient
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2024-05-11 21:18:36
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