Ligue 1 has reached round 30! Slowly, the end of the 2022-2023 season is approaching. What’s new? The fact that Paris Saint-Germain lost for the fifth time this season and for the second time in a row at home. The poor form of the Parisians is no longer breaking news. But despite their failures and sometimes mediocre performances on the field, Christophe Galtier’s side seem to have no rivals in the race for another Ligue 1 title. The points accumulated throughout the season, the oscillating evolutions of the title rivals, plus the UEFA Champions League elimination are the main reasons for PSG’s relaxation at the end of a season in which the only front they are still fighting on is Ligue 1.
So, PSG have this weekend notched up their second consecutive defeat. The 0-2 against Rennes before the international break was followed by a 0-1 defeat against Lyon, both at the Parc des Princes! Two home matches without a goal scored, no point for the most spoiled team in world football! This weekend, PSG travel to Nice, a team in 8th place but on a sensational run: 14-match unbeaten run in all competitions. The Parisians don’t have fond memories of their last visit to the Allianz Riviera stadium. A year and a month ago, on 5 March 2022, Nice beat PSG 1-0 with a goal scored two minutes before the end by Andy Delort, who has since left for Nantes. There are now six points between PSG, 66 points, and their main title chasers Lens and Marseille.
Lens, coming off three straight wins, plays at home this round against Strasbourg, 16th, first above the relegation line, tied on 26 points with 17th-placed Auxerre. With a new coach since January, Frédéric Antonetti, Strasbourg made a brave start in the last round at Monaco, where they lost after a spectacular match with 7 goals: 3-4. Lens came away empty-handed from their last trip to the Stade de la Meinau in Strasburg last April, 0-1!
Marseille dropped another two important points last weekend after drawing, 1-1, with Montpellier. With the two points, Marseille would now be four behind PSG. In this round, OM play away at Lorient. 10th in the Ligue 1 standings, Lorient is coming off a loss, 1-3 away to Lille.
The fight to avoid relegation continues. Angers, in last place, 11 points after 29 rounds (a real record!), doesn’t have a chance to save itself from relegation. From 14th place, occupied by Nantes, downwards, all the teams are nervous about relegation.
This round proposes a fight to avoid relegation derby: 19th-placed Ajaccio will be visited by 17th-placed Auxerre, both places are relegation places. In the first leg, Auxerre won 1-0. The last two games played at the Stade Francois Coty ended 0-0. The team that loses this match will be in big trouble.
