Ligue 1: Brest in the Champions League, Lorient in Ligue 2… Lessons from the 34th and final day


Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: VALENTINE CHAPUIS / AFP
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11:41 p.m., May 19, 2024

Ligue 1 will have offered us a suspenseful multiplex to conclude this 2023-2024 season. Already champion of France, Paris Saint-Germain had nothing more to play for in this 34th and final day, just like AS Monaco, guaranteed to compete in the Champions League, or even Clermont, already condemned. On the other hand, the race for Europe had not yet delivered its verdict, just like the fight to remain. Here are the main lessons from the last act of the season.

Brest will play the Champions League

The Bretons have achieved one of the most resounding exploits of recent years in Ligue 1. Big winners on the pitch in Toulouse (0-3), Eric Roy’s men, narrowly saved from relegation last season, will play in the group stages of the next Champions League. Behind Lille in the standings before this 34th day, the Brestois took advantage of the Northerners’ draw at home against Nice (2-2) to grab this place on the podium and conclude their dream season in the most beautiful way. For its part, Losc will have to go through a third preliminary round then a jump-off to access the most prestigious European competition. Nice, 5th, will compete in the Europa League.

Lyon in the Europa League, OM fanny

Came from nowhere in this championship where they occupied last place for a long time, Olympique Lyonnais also concluded their season in apotheosis with this improbable 6th place, synonymous with qualification for the Europa League. Winners of Strasbourg (2-1) thanks to a double from Alexandre Lacazette, the Lyonnais could have found themselves in a very bad position if Emanuel Emegha had converted the penalty which would then have given the Alsatians the advantage at 1-1. Because, at the same time, OM (8th) won on the Le Havre pitch (1-2) and could therefore have been slightly ahead of the Rhodanians. In the end, it was the latter who had the last word. The Marseillais, weighed down by their defeat in Reims in the middle of the week, will not play in any European Cup next season.

Sixth at kick-off, the Lensois may also have some regrets. While leading 2-0 against Montpellier, the Sang et Or were caught and conceded a draw (2-2) which demoted them to 7th place. A position which, however, allows them to win a ticket for the Europa Conference League, the third European cup.

Lorient relegated by nothing, Metz will play the play-offs

The long-distance duel to maintain resulted in a breathtaking finale between Metz (16th) and Lorient (17th). The Bretons, almost doomed after their defeat in Marseille last Sunday (3-1), had to win largely against Clermont, already relegated, and hope for a comfortable success for PSG on the Metz pitch. If the first condition was indeed met, the Merlus winning 5-0 against the Auvergnats, the Messins, for their part, limited the damage by only losing 2-0 against the French champion . Lorient will only have missed a small goal, who will therefore play in Ligue 2 next season. The Grenats will have to go through the play-off box, facing the winner of the Ligue 2 playoffs, to hope to save their place in the elite.





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