The 31st day of Ligue 1 could see Paris Saint-Germain crowned champion on Saturday evening. At the bottom of the table, several teams have the opportunity to protect themselves from relegation at the end of the weekend.
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Montpellier on its way?
Apart from AS Monaco, no team did better than Montpellier during the four days of Ligue 1 which followed the international break in March. With three defeats and a draw, the Hérault team got out of the brambles, beating direct rivals (Le Havre, Lorient). Coach Michel Des Zakarian welcomes his former club, FC Nantes, this Friday evening, 14th and in a slightly more precarious position. In the event of a victory, the MHSC could be out of the woods if Le Havre does not win at the Parc des Princes against PSG…
Metz must prolong the euphoria
What if FC Metz escaped the eternal “elevator” this season. Accustomed to returning to Ligue 2 as quickly as they arrived in Ligue 1, the Garnets (15th) have some arguments to put forward this time, with Georges Mikautadze at the top of his art at the forefront of the attack. The Georgian striker may have been forgotten by Ajax Amsterdam but he has not forgotten how to score goals. A few weeks after hitting rock bottom defensively, László Bölöni’s team remains on two precious victories. Sunday at 1 p.m. against Lille, the Lorraines will welcome a sizeable piece, Lille (4th).
Mandatory exploit for the HAC
The first half of the season was that of an honest promotion on the Le Havre side. With eight defeats in ten days, the Ciel & Marine are now in free fall. A few days ago, the president of the Norman club regretted seeing the capital club field an additional team against Clermont, a competitor at the bottom of the table. Will his club also benefit from a PSG that is not quite 100%? Nothing is less certain because, even four days before a Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain has the opportunity to be crowned champion of France on Saturday evening at 9 p.m., in front of its home crowd.
Barrage in 16th place, the HAC can no longer lose ground on a reinvigorated FC Metz, among others.
Break point for Strasbourg
13th, with eight points ahead of Le Havre, RC Strasbourg is in the same situation as Montpellier: a victory coupled with a negative result for the Normans would mean the end of concerns, after a difficult season, marked by disenchantment between the supporters Alsatians and the owners of the club (BlueCo). Patrick Vieira’s men will still have a lot to do on Sunday at 3 p.m. against Nice (5th) who remain a candidate for a place in the Champions League, despite an irregular form in recent weeks.
Match point for Toulouse against Lorient
Whatever happens on the other grounds, Toulouse will be saved in the event of victory on the Lorient pitch on Saturday at 3 p.m. Carles Martinez Novell’s team has won four times in its last five away games and is in 5th place in the away rankings.
On the Breton side, the Merlus (17th) have only taken one point in six days. If a defeat would not yet seal the fate of Régis Le Bris’ men, it is perhaps now or never for a Morbihan team which will have two difficult trips (Lens then Marseille) in the wake of this match.
Clermont must let go
Red lantern in Ligue 1, Clermont owes its unenviable status to an unproductive attack: 21 goals scored in 30 matches. There is no question of mathematical relegation for the Auvergnats this weekend before facing Reims (10th). Against a Champagne team that is losing momentum, it is perhaps time to try something, before it is too late…
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