How things stand as the race for Champions League qualification hots up in Ligue 1 | OneFootball

Ligue 1 fans have plenty to look forward to over the next few weeks, with the battle to secure UEFA Champions League qualification set to go down to the wire.

Current table-toppers Paris Saint-Germain have already booked their place in next season’s competition, but the identity of the clubs that will join them is less clear.

Two automatic spots in the league phase are available, while a place in the third qualifying round is also up for grabs.

With that in mind, we look at the latest standings at the top of Ligue 1, before assessing who will qualify for the Champions League alongside PSG.

Ligue 1 – Latest standings

Ligue 1 – The battle for a place in the Champions League

Six clubs are still in with a mathematical chance of securing Champions League qualification.

RC Lens

Nice (A), Nantes (H), PSG (H), Lyon (A).

Lens are challenging for PSG for the Ligue 1 title and look nailed on to secure one of the Champions League qualification places.

Fixtures against relegation-threatened Nice and Nantes give Lens every chance of cementing their status in the top three at the end of the season.

PSG have some favourable fixtures to come against mid-table teams, so it would be surprising if they relinquished their grip on the Ligue 1 title.

However, Lens have done well to keep the title race interesting this season, and Champions League qualification would be richly deserved.

Lens’ best chance of a trophy this season is likely to be the Coupe de France, where they play Nice in the final on 22 May, after the regular season ends.

Olympique Lyonnais

Rennes (H), Toulouse (A), Lens (H).

Lyon have a tough run-in on paper, although they will take comfort from the fact that the two tough games against top-four rivals will be played at home.

The trip to Toulouse also has the potential to be problematic, although it is worth noting that they now have nothing to play for.

Lyon head into the final three games level on points with Lille, but have an advantage over them after winning both their fixtures this term.

That factor could come into play at the end of the season, although Lille may feel that their perceived easier run-in tips the scales in their favour.

Lille OSC

Le Havre (H), Monaco (A), Auxerre (H).

Lille will fancy their chances of qualifying automatically for the Champions League, although they would be well-advised to take nothing for granted.

While they are the favourites to win their next home game against Le Havre, the visitors have drawn 13 matches this season.

The subsequent visit to Monaco also has the potential to be tricky, as they could still be in contention for a top-four finish when the fixture is played.

Lille’s final home game against Auxerre could still have something riding on it for both teams, adding another intriguing layer to proceedings.

Stade Rennais

Lyon (A), Paris FC (H), Marseille (A).

Four wins and a draw in their last five Ligue 1 outings have kept Rennes firmly in contention for Champions League qualification.

However, they still have to visit Lyon and Marseille, while the outcome of the home game against Paris FC is not a foregone conclusion.

Rennes will take inspiration from their away record, which currently stands at seven wins and four draws in 15 games.

Unfortunately, three of their four away defeats were against teams currently in the top seven, which does not bode well for their Champions League qualification hopes. 

Olympique de Marseille

Nantes (A), Le Havre (A), Rennes (H).

Marseille have made life extremely difficult for themselves, yet could still end the season by finishing inside the top four.

Their home record is the third-best in Ligue 1, but eight defeats in 15 outings away from the Vélodrome perfectly highlight their inconsistency.

Fixtures at Nantes and Le Havre are both winnable if Marseille produce their best form, but that is far from guaranteed to happen.

However, if they pick up six points from those two games, there would be plenty riding on their home match against Rennes on the final day.

AS Monaco

Metz (A), Lille (H), Strasbourg (A).

Monaco need to win all their remaining games and hope for an unlikely set of results elsewhere to secure qualification for the Champions League.

However, they could still grab a spot in the Europa League or Europa Conference League, which would be a respectable way to end the season.

Monaco should pick up three points at Metz, while a home victory over Lille could set up an intriguing final-day fixture at Strasbourg.

They will be keeping a close eye on the French Cup final, where a victory for Lens would secure an additional European qualification place for Ligue 1.

GFFN | Zach Lowy