Introduction
The curtain falls on the Ligue 1 2025 season this Saturday with high-stakes drama guaranteed. While Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) already secured their fourth consecutive title, the race for the final Champions League qualification spot and the battle to avoid relegation are still wide open. Nine games will kick off simultaneously at 1900 GMT, marking a dramatic end to the campaign.
Champions League Race: Four Clubs, One Spot
PSG, headed to the Champions League final later this month, are already crowned champions. Marseille and Monaco have locked in second and third, clinching direct access to next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The final UCL spot is up for grabs between Nice, Lille, Strasbourg, and Lyon. Currently, Nice sit in fourth with a goal difference advantage, hosting Brest in their final match. A narrow win would force Lille or Strasbourg to pull off major goal-margin victories to leapfrog them.
Nice Hold the Advantage
Nice, under coach Franck Haise, are best-positioned. “I prefer to be slightly above the others in the table than slightly below them,” Haise commented, recalling his success with Lens in 2023. A win over Brest would likely be enough to see them into the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
Chasing Teams: Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon
- Lille must beat Reims by a large margin and hope for a Nice slip.
- Strasbourg needs to beat Le Havre by eight goals or more to overtake Nice, depending on other results.
- Lyon have the slimmest hope and must rely on all three teams above them losing while they defeat Angers.
“First of all, we need to focus on ourselves,” said Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca, acknowledging the uphill battle his team faces.
European Spots and French Cup Impact
The fifth-place finisher enters the Europa League, while sixth heads to the Conference League. If PSG win the French Cup final against Reims, seventh place will also gain a European berth.
Relegation Showdown: Saint-Etienne, Le Havre, Nantes in Danger
At the bottom, Saint-Etienne must beat Toulouse and hope Le Havre fail to win to force a two-legged survival play-off. Le Havre, meanwhile, travel to Strasbourg in a must-not-lose scenario. Reims and Nantes also face threats of a late drop, depending on final-day results.
Star Performers and Season Stats
- Ousmane Dembele (PSG) leads the Golden Boot race with 21 goals.
- Mason Greenwood (Marseille) is close behind with 19 goals.
- PSG dominated the Ligue 1 Team of the Season with 9 selections.
- Only Lucas Chevalier (Lille) and Rayan Cherki (Lyon) broke into the PSG-dominated lineup.
Saturday Fixtures (Kick-off 1900 GMT)
- Lens vs Monaco
- Lille vs Reims
- Lyon vs Angers
- Marseille vs Rennes
- Nantes vs Montpellier
- Nice vs Brest
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Auxerre
- Saint-Etienne vs Toulouse
- Strasbourg vs Le Havre
Conclusion
As Ligue 1 reaches its thrilling finale, eyes will be on multiple stadiums where every goal can swing the fate of a club—either toward Europe’s elite or into relegation heartbreak. Nice, Lille, and Strasbourg are in a tense fight for a Champions League dream, while Saint-Etienne and Le Havre brace for survival.
With drama guaranteed on all fronts, stay tuned and follow our coverage for live updates, analysis, and outcomes as the season concludes. For more, check our Ligue 1 top scorers list and European league overviews.
