No matter who grabs the all important Champions League spots, and the final Europa position, Ligue 1 should provide a great deal of excitement to close the season.
Paris Saint-Germain may have wrapped up the Ligue 1 title early, but there is still plenty left undecided as the season draws to a close. With two more Champions League spots and the Europa League entries within reach for multiple teams, the last few games should provide a great deal of excitement.
For most of the season, AS Monaco had a solid grip on second place. Recent struggles have brought them back to the pack though, and Marseille and Lyon now sit a single point behind.
The race for second through to fourth is huge. With second and third place going to Champions League, whoever finishes fourth will fall into Europa. The money lost from missing out on a Champions League spot could have major ramifications for any of these teams. Each of them is trying to close the gap to PSG, and the extra money could help that pursuit.
Lyon has been on a great run of results over the past month, but may have the more difficult road over the last four games. With Nantes and Nice on the schedule, Lyon have two games where dropping points is a greater possibility.
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Marseille has a game with Nice as well, while Monaco should only be tested by Saint-Etienne. Even with more favorable schedules, both Monaco and Marseille have had lapses against lesser competition this season. Expect all three spots to come down to the final game.
While the Champions League spots should be heavily contested, fans should pay close attention to the final Europa slot in the standings. Currently Nice hold that spot with 50 points. Chasing them are Saint-Etienne (49 pts), Rennes (48 pts) along with Montpellier and Nantes (46 pts).
Nice has two tough games with Lyon and Marseille to navigate. Rennes must play both PSG and Montpellier giving them a difficult finish as well.
If Saint-Etienne overcome Monaco, they could pull off a bit of a miracle. Sitting as low as 17th in the standings back in the winter, Les Verts have gone on a tear over the last dozen games. They now find themselves in the mix for the Europa qualification spot.
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No matter who grabs the all important Champions League spots, and the final Europa position, Ligue 1 should provide a great deal of excitement to close the season.