Portugal cut France’s lead in race for fifth in UEFA coefficient | OneFootball

Portugal have edged closer to France in the battle for fifth in the UEFA coefficient after a mixed Europa League week for Ligue 1 and two strong away wins for Portuguese clubs.

Lyon won 2-1 at Anderlecht, Rennes drew 0-0 at Sturm Graz and Marseille were beaten 4-1 at Besiktas on Thursday. L'Équipe notes France’s lead over Portugal is now 3.403 points, down from 3.774 before matchday one of the Europa League league phase.

Benfica secured a 2-0 victory at San Siro against AC Milan, while second-tier Torreense won 2-1 in Norway at Lilleström. With Portugal fielding fewer clubs in Europe, their haul is divided by five rather than seven as in Ligue 1, giving France more chances to add points but less margin for error.

A week earlier in the Champions League, French sides fared better, with wins for PSG and Lens against a single success for Portuguese teams, Sporting CP. That nudged France’s cushion to 3.603 points after the qualifiers, before slipping back seven days on.

European action resumes in the week of 12 October with matchday two in the Champions League and Europa League, and the start of the Europa Conference League league phase. Each nation has one entrant there, Monaco for France and Braga for Portugal, who begin at CSKA Sofia and FC Copenhagen respectively.

The contest for fifth will stretch over months. Ligue 1 are aiming to keep four Champions League places, three direct and one via qualifying, and seven European spots overall. If Portugal overtake, that would drop to two direct C1 places plus one in qualifying, and six representatives in 2028-2029.

Source: L'Équipe

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