With five matchdays remaining, there are just four points separating third-placed Lille and seventh-placed Monaco. The suspense looks set to last until the very last second of the final matchday.
Behind Paris Saint-Germain and RC Lens, who have pulled clear at the top, the upper reaches of the Ligue 1 table are characterised by a rare parity and exceptional suspense in the race for Europe.
There is just a one-point gap between each team ranked from 3rd to 7th place, meaning a total of four points separate a spot directly qualifying for the Champions League from the bottom spot, which could see a team fall out of the European places depending on the winner of the Coupe de France.
Very favourable fixtures for Lille and Marseille
Currently 3rd and 4th respectively, Lille (53 points) and Marseille (52 points) have the most favourable fixtures on paper, which could prove decisive in this battle where every detail will count. In their last five matches, LOSC will face opponents ranked on average 13th (12.8 to be precise, calculated by adding each opponent’s current position and dividing the total by 5), with Monaco as their only direct rival.
At the same time, Marseille will face teams currently ranked 12th on average, and will also have to contend with just one rival for a European place: Rennes, on the final matchday. It is worth noting that the northerners, like the Marseille side, will also face three clubs fighting for survival (Nice, Le Havre and Auxerre for the Dogues, then Nice, Nantes and Le Havre for the Olympians).
Much tougher for Lyon
Next, Monaco (7th, 49 points) also have a relatively manageable schedule for the final sprint, with an average opponent currently in 11th place, but tough matches to navigate against Lille and Strasbourg. Then Rennes (6th, 50 points) and Strasbourg (8th, 43 points), who shouldn’t be written off due to their game in hand, will face a moderately difficult run of fixtures; however, whilst their average opponent will be ranked 9th, Rennes’ schedule is very mixed (three direct rivals away from home, two clubs fighting for survival at home), whilst Strasbourg’s is more varied, as their lowest-ranked opponent will be Angers, currently 13th.
The task will, however, be much more difficult for Lyon (5th, 51 points), who have been hampered by a run of six games without a win prior to their 2-0 victory over Lorient on Sunday. In the final sprint, Les Gones will face opponents currently ranked 7th on average, with PSG and Lens on the schedule – two teams none of their direct rivals will have to face – as well as Rennes. A tough task for OL, but by no means impossible: the race is still wide open, and we won’t turn our noses up at the prospect.
Post Comment