Ligue 1’s Verdict is in – What Should we Remember From its Final Day?

Sometimes criticised, often laughed at, Ligue 1 is nonetheless spectacular. That it took until the end of nine minutes of extra time in the match between Strasbourg and Le Havre to find out its final standings proves the point. Add to that the fact that eight of the 18 teams still had something to play for before the action kicked off on the closing day, and you’ve got the perfect cocktail for a powder-keg evening.

Nice Clinches Champions League Ticket

With Paris Saint-Germain, sacred French champion for the 13th time, OM and Monaco already guaranteed Champions League football next season, all that remained to be decided was who would accompany them. Or rather, who would try to join them, should they progress beyond the preliminary round.

And in a four-way tie between Nice, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon, it was Les Aiglons who finally managed to take flight for the showpiece event. The result of a perfect evening for Franck Haise’s men, who comfortably beat Stade Brestois 6-0 in front of their home crowd at the Allianz Riviera.

Lille to Play in C3, Lyon Benefits From Strasbourg Slip-up

A victory that perfectly illustrates the importance of taking care of your goal average. Lille will remember this.

Although they fulfilled their part of the contract with a 2-1 win over Reims, Les Dogues saw their hopes of a C1 qualification place evaporate as the evening wore on and, above all, as Nice continued to score. With 60 points, but an unfavourable goal difference (-9), the team-mates of Jonathan David, who played his last match with LOSC yesterday, will have to be satisfied with the Europa League in the end.

A destiny that Olympique Lyonnais, for their part, are hoping to embrace, boosted by a brace from Alexandre Lacazette, who also made his farewell appearance at Groupama Stadium, to defeat Angers (2-0). Having qualified for the Europa Conference League playoffs, Les Gones will now need PSG to beat Reims in the French Cup if they want to climb any higher.

But they won’t be the only ones backing the Parisians on Saturday. Strasbourg, narrowly beaten 2-3 by Le Havre, could also benefit from a win for the Champions League finalists to become a European side next season.

Reims Hoping to Stay in Ligue 1, Saint-Etienne Back in Ligue 2

Yet the Alsatians came very close to going straight to C4. In fact, a penalty converted by Abdoulaye Toure in the 90th+9 minute.

A goal that had a snowball effect, allowing Le Havre to secure their place in the top flight, Lyon to celebrate another European qualification (much to the dismay of Strasbourg) and, above all, forcing the Remois to play two barrage matches against Metz, third in Ligue 2, on 21st and 29th May, in a bid to stay in the elite.

An opportunity that Saint-Etienne, relegated after a 2-3 defeat by Toulouse, will not have, a year after their return to the pinnacle of French football. Elsewhere in the antechamber, Les Verts will meet Montpellier, who ended their season with a final defeat — their 26th in 34 games — at Nantes (3-0) and entered the annals of Ligue 1 with their worst ever points tally (16).