Resurgent Monaco back in CL reckoning
PARIS: That Paris Saint-germain (PSG) would win the Ligue 1 title this season was never really in doubt at any point, but behind them the batle for European places remains open with a resurgent Monaco now hoping to snatch Champions League qualification.
PSG clinched their eighth title in 10 years, and a record 10th French championship altogether, with four games to spare last weekend thanks to a 1-1 draw against Lens.
Their season effectively over, the capital club are now fully focused on trying to persuade Kylian Mbappe to sign a new contract and stay, while the superstar striker’s former side motor towards a return to Europe’s elite club competition.
Monaco, the club owned by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev and where Mbappe broke through and won the title in 2017, were eighth in the table in mid-march, nine points adrit of the top three.
The decision to sack coach Niko Kovac midway through the season and replace him with the Belgian Philippe Clement appeared to have backfired, but then they beat PSG 3-0 and everything changed.
That was the start of a winning run which stretched to six matches when the principality side beat struggling Saint-etienne 4-1 last week.
With only the top three going into the Champions League, Monaco are now fourth but sit behind Rennes only on goal difference. They have the momentum and should be too strong for struggling Angers this weekend.
Monaco’s slow start this season may partly have been down to their efforts in the Champions League qualifying rounds, when they lost in the play-offs to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Only the top two in France go automatically into the Champions League group stage and, behind PSG, Marseille appear poised to take second as they lie six points clear of the chasing pack.
French League fixtures (all times GMT) Saturday: Lens vs Nantes (1500), Rennes vs Saint-etienne (1900) Sunday: Troyes vs Lille (1100), Brest vs Clermont, Lorient vs Reims, Monaco vs Angers, Montpellier vs Metz (all 1300), Bordeaux vs Nice (1505), Marseille vs Lyon (1845)