Another round of Ligue 1 fixtures is in the books, with mixed results for the teams who are battling for spots in the Champions League, the Europa League, and the Europa Conference League. Meanwhile, the relegation-threatened sides all endured disappointment - something that will naturally put more pressure on those sides' managers with less than two months to go between now and the end of the season.
Here's a quick summary of what went down this weekend across France's top flight.
Ligue 1 rankings as of April 4th:
Here's the top five teams in Ligue 1 as of April 4th:
Who are the top three goalscorers in Ligue 1?
Here's how the race for the top scorer prize in Ligue 1 is shaping up, with Kylian Mbappe now surprisingly slipping into second behind Monaco's Ben Yedder:
Ligue 1 headlines, stats, and other facts
Strasbourg quietly making their way up: Considering that Strasbourg finished in 15th spot last season, one certainly wouldn't be blamed if he or she did a double take when looking at the recent rankings. As of now, Strasbourg have risen to fourth spot in the table - ahead of reigning champs Lille (7th), as well as the likes of Monaco (6th) and Lyon (9th). And given how close things are between Strasbourg and third-placed Rennes, with just two points dividing them, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility to potentially see a Champions League qualification battle open up between these two sides.
Ben Yedder overtakes Mbappe: Although PSG are seemingly cruising along to the Ligue 1 title, with Kylian Mbappe grabbing a brace in their 5-1 demolition of Lorient at the weekend, Monaco's Ben Yedder has now overtaken the French youngster in the race for the top scorer prize in Ligue 1. However, with quite a few games to go, there's naturally still plenty of time for Mbappe to seize top spot once again, while Rennes's Terrier has climbed up the rankings into third spot.
PSG's superstars all on target for the first time: It was a good day for PSG as they not only cruised to a 5-1 win over Lorient, but also saw all three of their star men - Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi - getting on the score-sheet in the same game for the first time. The trio, who haven't really gelled in the way fans had dreamed of, scored all five of the team's goals as PSG rebounded following a 3-0 loss to Monaco prior to the international break.
Bordeaux finally keep a clean sheet: The struggling side haven't been able to keep a clean sheet in nearly a year (since May 16, 2021), but managed to do so against reigning Ligue 1 title holders Lille. Unfortunately, that game ended as a scoreless draw, which really doesn't help a side who are stuck at the bottom of the table, five points from safety, but it just may be the sign of a much needed turnaround for the struggling side.
Top Ligue 1 matches: April 8 - April 10, 2022
Reims vs Rennes: Rennes have arguably been one of the more impressive sides this season, but recently saw their five match winning streak end as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Nice last weekend. However, Bruno Genesio's men will have a great chance to get back to winning ways - and further solidify their grip on third - when they take on Reims on Saturday.
Clermont vs PSG: Having lost their last four games, things don't look good for Clermont ahead of the arrival of PSG on Saturday evening. Despite a bright start, things have now gone horribly awry for the Ligue 1 debutants, who haven't won a game since February 20th when they beat Marseille 2-0. Meanwhile, PSG, after being dumped out of the Champions League, will now have to settle for solely domestic honors, and Les Parisiens will certainly aim to ensure that they don't have any more slip-ups between now and the end of the season in order to clinch the Ligue 1 title.
Bordeaux vs Metz: Simply put, this will be a desperate scrap for points. Bordeaux and Metz sit in 20th and 19th respectively, and are joint-tied on 23 points. The winner of this game won't totally be out of trouble just yet, but that side could really put themselves in good stead to potentially avoid the drop at the end of this season.
Strasbourg vs Lyon: Will Lyon become the latest side to face a frustrating test against Strasbourg, who have been quietly climbing the table largely unnoticed? This game could turn out to be a very interesting one indeed when the two sides lock horns on Sunday evening.
Make sure you don't miss out on these key games and stay on top of all the action by checking out our bespoke Ligue 1 match page.
