The sunscreen is in the bag, the (many) pairs of glasses lined up in a box, the program already booked… This Sunday evening, around 11 p.m., the Ligue 1 players (except the play-off club as well as OL and PSG, finalists of the Coupe de France) will be on vacation for a few weeks, just to recharge the batteries before setting off again next season.
But before fully enjoying the sun of the Maldives, Mykonos or Montceau-les-Mines, there is one last day of the championship to play. If the title of French champion has been acquired for a long time for PSG, just like the places in the Champions League, there are still some issues at stake for this 34th day of Ligue 1.
Lille or Brest for fourth place
Reform of the Champions League requires, fourth place is now a qualifier for the Champions League. Finally, for the 3rd qualifying round, which then gives access to the play-offs. Ask the Marseillais, eliminated by Panathinaikos, their memories of this qualifying round. It is therefore better to qualify directly by finishing third.
In this little game, Lille is ahead of Brest, but only by goal difference (+18 against +16). The Bretons, traveling to Toulouse, will therefore have to do better than the Northerners who face Nice. Either by achieving a better result than Jonathan David & Co, or by scoring at least three more goals than Lille. Because, at equivalent goal-average, it is the club which has the greatest number of points in direct confrontations which finishes in front. And Lille was better than Brest this season
Lens, Lyon or Marseille for Europe
Marseille could have taken a giant step towards European qualification by winning in Reims on Wednesday. But as usual away from home, the Phocaeans came back empty-handed. As a result, the fate of OM depends on two defeats for Lens and Lyon, ahead of them in the standings, if they manage to win in Le Havre.
For the Lensois, the equation is simple: a victory and sixth place goes to them. Even a draw (if Lyon does not win against Strasbourg) would be enough. For Les Gones, who can also qualify for Europe via the Coupe de France next week, their current seventh place would allow them to qualify for the Europa Conference League, if they lose to PSG in the Coupe de France. If successful, they would go directly to the Europa League.
The maintenance already played?
We do not know if Lorient made a short stay in Lourdes before the last day, but it would take a miracle for the Merlus, 17th, to grab the play-off place occupied by Metz. The Grenats have three points more than the Bretons and a better goal average (-21 against -28). But Metz faces PSG while Lorient hosts Clermont, already relegated.
Who will end up the best passer?
If the title of top scorer will go to Kylian Mbappé, author of 27 goals this season, that of best passer is still undecided. Three players are in eight units: Romain Del Castillo (Brest), Angel Gomes (Lille) and Ousmane Dembélé (PSG). And, behind them, three players have seven assists to their name: Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola (PSG) and Junya Ito (Reims).