The Champions League for Monaco and OM, Angers validates its maintenance, Saint-Etienne keeps hope … which must be remembered from the 33ᵉ Ligue 1 day

One week before the end of the Ligue 1 season, the suspense remains whole at the top of the ranking. Olympique de Marseille (OM) and AS Monaco have already validated on Saturday May 10 at the end of the 33ᵉ day of the French football championship, their place in the Champions League (C1) for next season, while Angers has obtained its maintenance.

Saturday, May 17, the 34ᵉ and last day will therefore designate the last qualified for the European Cups and the club which will accompany Montpellier directly in Ligue 2.

The struggle for Europe: OM and Monaco in the Champions League, an undecided fight for the fourth place

In addition to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which easily won in Montpellier with a BIS team (1-4), France now knows that it will also be represented in the Champions League by OM and Monaco next season. The Phocaean club and that of the Principality are guaranteed to compete in the C1 League phase during the 2025-2026 exercise, thanks to their respective victory in Le Havre (1-3) and against Olympique Lyonnais (2-0).

OM had to wait before validating his return to the Champions League: he led a goal when his meeting against HAC, at the Océane stadium, was interrupted for almost half an hour due to incidents between supporters in the stands. After the start of the match, the Marseillais, Dauphins of PSG, conceded the equalization, but they finally won the meeting thanks to a splendid goal of Mason Greenwood, and a double of Amine Gouiri.

Monaco came out more easily against OL and retained his third place, without being able to be caught. The seventh Rhone club can no longer qualify directly for the Champions League. Under the threat of an administrative demotion, he can hope for a very improbable circumstances competition – a victory and the defeat of the three teams which precede him in the classification on the last day – to finish fourth and compete in the preliminary towers of the C1.

In front of OL, Nice (fourth), Lille (fifth) and Strasbourg (sixth) all three lost, Saturday, respectively in Rennes (2-0), Brest (2-0) and Angers (2-1). The three clubs that dream of the Champions League have missed the opportunity to take a great option before the last day. Fourth place will be played between these four contenders on May 17.

The fight for maintenance: Angers validates its maintenance, ASSE can believe it

Drunk of joy at the end of Angers’ victory against Strasbourg (2-1), the Angevin supporters invaded the lawn of the Raymond-Kopa stadium thinking about the validated maintenance. They finally had to wait for the result between Le Havre and OM for it to be confirmed. Promoted at the start of the season, the SCO will spend a second year in a row in the elite of French football.

Four teams are still likely to descend to Ligue 2: Reims (14ᵉ), Nantes (15ᵉ), Le Havre (16ᵉ) and Saint-Etienne (17ᵉ). Thanks to their difference in goals, the first two cannot finish 17ᵉ. One of the two clubs could, in the worst case, be overwhelmed by Le Havre, finish 16ᵉ and play a round trip against the Barragist in Ligue 2.

After their victory in Reims (0-2), the Stéphanois can still believe in the maintenance, including the dams. To avoid going down with Montpellier, they will have to win against Toulouse on the last day and, at the same time, count on a defeat or a draw from Le Havre in Strasbourg.