Who in the Champions League, who in the Europa League, who in the Europa League Conference and who in Ligue 2? All these questions will find their answers this Saturday evening on the occasion of the 38th and final day of Ligue 1. Overview of the various issues.
Monaco or Marseille: who will finish second?
Soon the final whistle. This Saturday, the Ligue 1 version 2021-2022 will end around 11 p.m., and this 38th and last day will, like every year, bring happy and unhappy people.
Indeed, if Paris Saint-Germain is already champion, many unknowns remain concerning the final classification. Who will finish in the Champions League, who will finish in the Europa League, who will finish in the Europa League Conference and who will go down to Ligue 2? Overview of the different issues.
C1 or C3: Monaco, OM and Rennes in the race
Three teams still have a chance of supporting Paris Saint-Germain directly in the Champions League: Monaco (2nd, 68 points), Olympique de Marseille (3rd, 68 points) and Rennes (4th, 65 points). Advantage ASM, which has a better goal difference than OM (+25 against +21) before going to Lens this Saturday. Jorge Sampaoli’s team, which hosts Strasbourg at the Vlodrome, will therefore have to do better than that of Philippe Clement to hope to regain second place from them, or a defeat – coupled with that of the Mongasques – with (much) fewer goals conceded (see here).
For Rennes, which moves Lille, hope remains. But it is weak, because the Bretons will have to count on defeats by ASM and OM to hope to finish behind Paris. Third place, qualifying for the preliminary rounds of the C1, seems more attainable in the event of a misstep by one of the two teams, because the SRFC has a much better goal difference (+42). As you will have understood, the three formations can finish any of these three places, but there will necessarily be one in C3.
Strasbourg wants to keep Nice behind
For example, if Monaco or Marseille take just a small point, they will finish ahead of the Rouge et Noir, who must also look behind. Because Strasbourg (5th, 63 points) and Nice (6th, 63 points) are not far away, and Rennes’ victory on the Lille lawn is far from certain, the Dogues having notably upset the Aiglons (3-1) during the previous day. In case of defeat, Rennes could therefore see his pursuers pass him and finally fail in sixth place, qualifying for… nothing.
But nothing will be easy for Strasbourg, traveling to Marseille, and Nice, which is going to Reims. The objective for the Alsatians, who have a better goal difference than the Azurens (+21 against +15) will above all be to achieve a result identical to that of Christophe Galtier’s men (or better, of course). Not to mention that Lens (7th, 61 points), opponents of Monaco (definitely!), still has a chance to clinch this fifth qualifying place for the Europa League Conference.
Who to accompany Bordeaux in L2?
Six teams concerned at the top, and three at the bottom. Or rather two, because Bordeaux (20th, 28 points) already seems doomed to Ligue 2 and will need several miracles – based on victory by seven goals against Brest and an XXL defeat of Metz Paris – to hope to stay in the lite. Let’s focus on the play-off place, therefore, currently occupied by Metz (18th, 31 points), while Saint-Etienne (19th, 31 points) has the same number of points, but a lower goal difference.
The equation is therefore both simple and complex for the Grenats: they will have to win to face Auxerre in the play-offs, but no one has managed to do so this season in Ligue 1 on the lawn of Paris Saint-Germain… , Saint-Etienne will go to Nantes and will have to do better than Metz in order not to go down directly. We won’t give them any gifts, warned Nantes coach Antoine Kombouar. The Greens have been warned.
What do you think will be the final ranking for all the teams involved? Do not hesitate to react and discuss in the area add a comment…
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