Ligue 1 Team Stats
AS Monaco
Clermont Foot 63
FC Lorient
FC Nantes
LOSC Lille
Montpellier Herault SC
OGC Nice
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique Lyonnais
Paris Saint-Germain
RC Lens
RC Strasbourg Alsace
Stade Brestois 29
Stade De Reims
Stade Rennais FC
Toulouse FC
Le Havre
Metz FC
The French Ligue 1 is one of the top five leagues in Europe, and we have been witnessing some exciting seasons over the years.
Although many fans feel the competition in the league is not up to par because only a few teams have been dominating, Ligue 1 has incredible moments that anyone would enjoy.
Although the group at the top seems to have it on lockdown, the main battle is between the lower teams trying to ensure they stay in division one.
As a result, they keep giving us some interesting matches throughout the season. In addition, we get new clubs to enter the top division, and the goal is always to be in the safe zones.
Understanding Ligue 1 Team Stats
The French Ligue 1 consists of 20 teams from different regions of the country, and as a result, each of them will play 38 games throughout the season.
These 38 games consist of two games against one team each. Therefore, each team will play 19 games at their home ground and another 19 on the away side.
The league starts properly in August and ends in May. The team with the most points will be crowned champions.
However, if there is a draw between two or more teams, the one with the most goal difference will win the league.
Aside from that, they use head-to-head, goals scored, and goals conceded to determine who wins. If all of these don’t work, there is a playoff between the teams to determine the winner.
Other than the winners, the league is categorized into different groups, with each of them representing how they perform generally.
The Top Teams
The big dogs continue to dominate and represent the team in European competitions. Although there are no specific top teams, as we’ve seen different eras of domination, a few teams in the league have an incredible history. These teams have continuously been at the top contesting for the league title.
One consistent name is Lyon, and recently, PSG has become a force in the league, winning back-to-back championships and building a star-studded squad.
Aside from these two, the other teams that usually occupy the top spot include:
- Marseille
- Lille
- Monaco
These teams have incredible pedigrees.
Top Five Spots
Playing in the champions league is many team goals every season, especially when winning the league is far-fetched.
As a result, getting into the top three spots is important. Some leagues have familiar clubs getting the top three spots every season. This is different for the French Ligue 1 because the top three spots are not secured for anyone except for PSG in recent years.
We’ve seen times that Marseille, Lille, Monaco, and other top sides miss out on the automatic qualification spots for the UCL.
Aside from that, the remaining 4th and 5th positions give teams the chance to play in Europe the next season.
However, they would be playing in the lower UEFA Competitions, including the Europa League and Conference League.
Mid Table Teams
Some teams do not have as much pedigree as the top teams as they have struggled to win the competition for many years.
They also miss out on competition in any European tournaments, even though a few make it into the top spots in some odd years. But they usually avoid the drop zone.
However, we have some top teams in the 90s that have fallen in the pecking order due to some reasons. As a result, they have the history, but their current form places them in the mid-table category of the league.
Relegation Zone
Every top league in Europe has a drop zone, where teams fall down the pecking order into the lower divisions.
Once a team is in the 19th or 20th position, they would have to spend the next season in the Ligue 2. The team in the 18th position gets a chance to fight to stay up in Ligue by playing a playoff round against the third qualifying team in Ligue 2.
