Ligue 1, Fonseca’s Lille must defend third place from Brest’s assault but the games are not done even in the fight for salvation: predictions.
Ligue 1 also goes into the archives this weekend. All nine matches of the thirty-fourth day are played at the same time, at 9 p.m., and there are not a few verdicts yet to be decided. PSG have already been champions for three rounds, and after beating Nice in a recovery (1-2) they visit third-last Metz, who will almost certainly have to go through the play-off to save themselves.
The Grenadians have only three points less than Le Havre, but in the event of a tie they would be worse off due to goal difference (currently it is -10 vs. -21). They are also unlikely to relegate directly, since second-last Lorient, -3 from Metz, has a far worse goal difference. Even though they face bottom-of-the-table Clermont, therefore, the fate of the orange players now appears sealed. The feeling, however, is that PSG will not give anything away, as indeed it did with Nice last Wednesday: in any case, these are two games in which goals should not be lacking. Nantes, on the other hand, despite its defeat to Lille is out of danger and will travel to the Principality with nothing to lose: in turn, Monaco is already sure of second place and could concede something. The victory of the Monegasques, however, will eventually come anyway: too much difference in quality.
A must win for Lille, which is dueling with Brest for third place. The Dogues, strong with a better goal difference, are masters of their own destiny. And in case of success with Nice – no one has done better at home – they will avoid the Champions League preliminaries, qualifying directly for the single round. By the way, Brest faces a tough away trip to Toulouse.
The predictions on the other matches
Risk to stay out of it all Marseille, defeated in the week’s rematch with Reims. Away games are a real Achilles’ heel this year for Jean-Louis Gasset’s team, which must hope for a double misstep by Lens and Lyon, paired on 50 points, in order to finish at least sixth.
Marseille, however, which will have to watch out for Le Havre, which is one point away from mathematical salvation. Lyon, on the other hand, should have no problem imposing itself on Strasbourg, long out of danger: the Gones, completely reborn in the return leg, can still take sixth place but it does not depend only on them (in any case, they have the parachute of the French Cup, which they will contend in the coming week against PSG). Finally, a win within reach also for Lens, which hosts an aimless Montpellier as Reims and Rennes, two teams that have seen their Europe goal slip away: a draw cannot be ruled out.
Ligue 1: possible winners
Monaco (in Monaco-Nantes).
Lille (in Lille-Nice)
Lorient (in Lorient-Clermont)
Lyon (in Lyon-Strasbourg)
Brest or draw (in Toulouse-Brest)
The games by at least one goal per team
Le Havre-Marseille
Metz-PSG
Reims-Rennes
Ligue 1: matches with at least three goals total
Monaco-Nantes
Metz-PSG
Toulouse-Brest