Championship title, race for Europe, maintenance ... The challenges of this penultimate day of Ligue 1

At the top of the Ligue 1 standings with six points ahead of RC Lens two days from the end - and with a largely favorable goal difference - Paris SG is (almost) guaranteed to finish champion of France for the eleventh times in its history. And their coronation could be recorded this Saturday. Indeed, Christophe Galtier and his men will be able to crack the champagne at the Meinau stadium if they do not bow to RC Strasbourg Alsace...or if the Sang et Or do not win against AC Ajaccio. Two scenarios - especially the first in reality - which have nothing improbable. Suffice to say that we have a good chance of seeing Kylian Mbappé and his teammates offer a (new) line to their list.

In any case, the Rouge et Bleu will do everything to finish the job in Alsace in order to be able to celebrate next week, at home. “We are six points ahead of Lens, we have a trip that promises to be difficult in Strasbourg. I hope that we will have the happiness of being champion in the next match and of being able to celebrate that at the Parc des Princes (against Clermont Foot 63, editor's note) with our supporters, ”said the Parisian coach this week.

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With five points ahead of their pursuer Marseille two days before the end of the season, RC Lens should, in all likelihood, finish in second place in the championship, synonymous with direct qualification for the group stage of the Champions League. . And the Sang et Or could well validate this position - a little unexpected, it must be said - as of this weekend, during the 37th day of Ligue 1. To do this, they will have to avoid losing against AC Ajaccio who is already condemned to go down to Ligue 2 … or count on a false step (draw or loss) from Olympique de Marseille against Stade Brestois. We could therefore see the Artésiens celebrate their second place at home at the Bollaert-Delelis stadium.

It is undoubtedly the most beautiful of the battles of this end of the season. Promised to AS Monaco (4th, 65 points), the fourth qualifying place for the next edition of the Europa League can now also be conquered by LOSC (5th, 63 points) and Stade Rennes (6th, 62 points). And this penultimate day of the championship appears to be highly decisive in this three-way fight. Notably because the Rouge et Noir receive... the Principality club. In the event of victory, Bruno Genesio and his men would take this position at the foot of the podium thanks to a better goal difference. Unless the Mastiffs, who are facing Nantes in danger at the same time, win.

Officially, they are still three to be affected by the maintenance: RC Strasbourg Alsace (15th, 39 points), AJ Auxerre (16th, 34 points) and FC Nantes (17th, 33 points); ESTAC, AC Ajaccio and SCO Angers are already condemned. However, with six points ahead of the red zone - and a better goal difference - the Alsatians already seem more or less saved. It would take a cataclysm to see them evolve in Ligue 2 next season. The fight to maintain is therefore a race for two. A race that could end this Saturday evening. Because if AJA gets rid of Toulouse FC – who no longer play anything – and at the same time the Canaries lose to LOSC, then the Burgundians will be mathematically maintained … and the Nantes relegated, a year later to have won the Coupe de France.