When it comes time to take stock at mid-season of Ligue 1 2024-2025, the most striking fact is the undivided domination of Paris Saint-Germain, leader without interruption since the 8th day. The three-time reigning French champion is on the right track towards a 13th national coronation.
Behind him, there are numerous contenders for Europe. OM are one step ahead of a group of opponents separated by four points between 3rd and 7th place: Monaco, Nice, Lyon, Lille and Lens. After a chaotic season, OL, 6th with 28 points (compared to 15th place with 16 points at the same time last season) reaffirmed its status among the best teams in the French championship.
Conversely, Brest (11th) fell back to earth after its third place during the previous year. The climate is generally not very warm in Brittany, as evidenced by the unusual difficulties of Rennes, only 15th. The situation is worrying, but in no way comparable to that of Montpellier, the bottom red and in distress.
2024-25 is set to be a good year for PSG
“As per usual”. After his team’s victory against Saint-Etienne on Sunday, Luis Enrique insisted on Parisian consistency in Ligue 1. At mid-season, PSG was undefeated in the league and had 43 points (13 wins, 4 draws). This harvest is the fourth best for the capital club since the arrival of Qatari investors in 2011 (after 2015-2016, 2018-2019 and 2022-2023).
It is even quite simply the fifth best total of points at this stage of an L1 season. Apart from PSG, only OL in 2006-2007 did better with 46 points that season. There is reason to see the glass half full for Paris, while awaiting the outcome of the league phase of the Champions League.
Behind Paris, the desert?
Will Paris Saint-Germain be crowned French champions for the fourth consecutive season? All indicators are green. Paris has the best attack and the best defense in the championship. Above all, the competition is struggling to keep up. The Parisians’ main opponent is rival Marseille, who are already seven points behind; a rival corrected at the Vélodrome with a score of 3-0 at the end of October.
But on closer inspection, OM’s pace is one of the best runs of a PSG runner-up in recent seasons. Only two teams ranked 2nd after 17 matches have collected more than 36 points since 2011: Monaco (38 in 2013-2014 and 39 in 2016-2017) and Lens (40 in 2022-2023). Marseille has only done better at this stage once in the 21st century, in 2014-2015 (38 points – 4th at the end of the season).
Already mission impossible for Montpellier?
16 years after its return to the elite, will the MHSC return to the lower tier? At mid-season, the trend does not lead to optimism. Despite a change of coach, Jean-Louis Gasset replacing Michel der Zakarian in October, the Hérault club still cannot do it. He has only taken two points in his last six outings in Ligue 1 and suffered a humiliating elimination against amateurs Puy-en-Velay in the Coupe de France (0-4).
With this catastrophic start to the season, Montpellier validates its place in the Top 10 worst harvests after 17 matches of a Ligue 1 season in the 21st century. And if we are interested in the entire history of the French football elite, concern is in order. Only two of the 19 teams having scored nine points or less at this stage of a season have managed to maintain their position (a ratio of 11%). The only one to have achieved this performance in the 2000s is Ajaccio, in 2011-2012 (9 points and 16th at the end of the season).
There is also reason to worry about the future in the elite of Le Havre, currently penultimate with 12 points collected. Showing this exact points total after 17 days offers only a 26% chance of maintaining.
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