Paris, May 15: With Paris Saint-Germain already crowned champions and Marseille and Monaco assured of Champions League spots next season, attention turns to the race to avoid relegation on the final matchday in France’s Ligue 1.
At the bottom of the standings, last-place Montpellier has been demoted. It remains to be seen which other club will be relegated to the second tier next season, with Saint-Etienne and Le Havre fighting for their survival.
A former French league powerhouse, Saint-Etienne dominated French soccer during the 1960s and ‘70s. Having just returned to the top-flight, the 10-time French champions have struggled throughout the season despite brilliant individual efforts from Zuriko Davitashvili and Lucas Stassin.
Ahead of its final match against Toulouse at home on Saturday, Saint-Etienne is second-to-last in the standings, but just one point behind 16th-place Le Havre, which is in the relegation playoffs spot. Saint-Etienne needs to win, hoping that Le Havre either loses or draws at Strasbourg.
“Our presence in the playoffs? It doesn’t just depend on us, we know that. We can win this last match and still be relegated,” Saint-Etienne coach Eirik Horneland said. “We’re going to have to create an incredible atmosphere and take the fans with us.” Two other teams, Reims and Nantes, have yet to secure their place in the elite heading into the final matchday. Both teams are two points ahead of Le Havre. Nantes hosts Montpellier, and Reims travels to Lille.
PSG striker Ousmane Dembélé is in a good position to succeed his former teammate Kylian Mbappé as the league’s top scorer.
Dembélé, who was named the league’s best player of the season, has been prolific since PSG coach Luis Enrique repositioned him in a false nine role – a center-forward who, instead of leading their team’s offensive line, drops into deeper positions. Among the favorites for the Ballon d’Or, Dembélé has scored 21 league goals, two more than Marseille’s Mason Greenwood. Behind them, Rennes forward Arnaud Kalimuendo has found the net 17 times.
PSG, which won a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title with six games to spare, plays its final match at home against Auxerre. Second-place Marseille hosts Rennes. Monaco, which is one point behind Marseille, travels to Lens.
PSG is hoping for its first-ever treble. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, Enrique’s team will have another shot at more silverware against Reims the week before in the French Cup final.The final spot in the Champions League is the last big prize up for grabs on Saturday. (AP)
