The rich just keep getting richer. Not satisfied with claiming a third successive Ligue 1 title last season, Paris Saint-Germain added yet another superstar to their already star-studded lineup this summer as they prepare to go for title No. 4. Do any of the so-called “contenders” stand a chance of dethroning the long-reigning kings of France, or will the streets of Paris be partying anew at season’s end?
With the Ligue 1 season set to begin on Friday, August 7, let’s first take a look at Ligue 1’s top title contenders, as well as the key matchups and the defining headlines for the upcoming season.
Also, check out our complete preview of the German Bundesliga season.
[sc:Soccer ]2015-16 Ligue 1 Season Preview
The Top 3 Favorites
Paris Saint-Germain
After a rocky first few months of the season, Paris Saint-Germain’s superior quality shone through as they pulled away for a third-straight Ligue 1 championship.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]PSG’s bid for a fourth successive title this season also got a lot stronger with the addition of Argentine winger Angel Di Maria. The rest of the championship-winning team is relatively unchanged – Yohan Cabaye and Thiago Motta are the only notable departures – although there are whispers of star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s possible return to Italy.
Zlatan’s exit would be a major blow, but a world class core of Di Maria, Edinson Cavani (the team’s top scorer over Zlatan last season) and Blaise Matuidi is still better than what anyone else has to offer. It would have to take something special to overthrow the Parisians from power.
Lyon
Lyon caught almost everyone by surprise as they finished runners-up to PSG last season. They did so in large part because of the incredible goal-scoring exploits of striker Alexandre Lacazette. The 24-year old Frenchman had a breakout season with 27 goals to lead all of Ligue 1.
After much speculation about a move abroad, Lyon look set to hold on to their prized striker, as well as their other young assets. They also added the likes of Rafael, Jeremy Morel and Luis Valbuena in preparation for another title challenge. But with Champions League commitments set to push their modest squad depth to the limit, it’ll be even more surprising if Lyon is a championship contender again this year.
Monaco
Monaco has been a hotbed of transfer activity this season. Geoffrey Kondogbia and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, two key contributors last season, were both sold off for eight-figure sums, and the funds from their sales were then re-invested in a host of young, up-and-coming talent.
Veteran midfielders Joao Moutinho and Jeremy Toulalan are still around, though, and will provide a solid foundation to help the growing youth movement in the club.
Monaco’s defense last season was ironclad (they conceded just 26 goals, the fewest in the league) but the influx of some younger legs – including the prodigious Anthony Martial and the mercurial Stephan El Shaarawy – could make for a slightly more entertaining style of play.
Sleeper – Marseille
Marseille seemed poised to break PSG’s strangehold on Ligue 1 last season. Marcelo Bielsa’s patented system had them flying high during the first half of the season, but they faded away over the second half and missed out on Champions League qualification.
Bielsa’s squad has undergone quite an overhaul this summer, with several key players – top scorer Pierre-Andre Gignac, Andre Ayew, Dimitri Payet, Jeremy Morel – all moving on. In their place, Bielsa has added some younger players, ones who have the legs more capable of implementing his demanding style of play.
Bielsa’s managerial stops usually have a pretty short shelf life, and he might have actually worn out his welcome by the end of last season. But if he can get his team playing the way he wants, Marseille will be a threat to challenge for the top.
Long Shot – St. Etienne
It’s hard to see anyone breaking into the very top of the standings in France this season. Lille, the team that has been able to do so for the last few years, lost promising midfielder Adama Traore to Monaco, and their two top scorers from last season, Divock Origi and Nolan Roux.
That leaves Roux’s new club, St. Etienne. Les Verts have been right on the cusp of breaking into the top three; they’ve finished either fourth or fifth in each of the past three years. They lost last season’s top scorer, Max Gradel (17 goals), but Roux can chip in with his share of goals. He had nine with Lille last season.
Besides, St. Etienne’s strength lies in their defense, which has been among the stingiest in France for a few years now. It’ll take the big guns all collapsing epically for St. Etienne to creep into championship contention, but they’re the best-equipped among the rest to capitalize.
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Key Games for the Season
PSG vs. Marseille (Oct. 4); Marseille vs. PSG (Feb. 7)
They call it Le Classique for a reason. The matchups between bitter rivals Marseille and PSG are the two can’t-miss fixtures in the French football calendar. PSG did the double over their southern rivals last season, and Bielsa will look to return the favor this year. But with a team a bit short on experience after the summer’s exodus, Bielsa will have a battle ahead of him when he goes up against all-conquering PSG.
Lyon vs. Monaco (May 8)
Lyon and Monaco – last year’s second and third placers, respectively – meet in the penultimate matchday of the season in what could be a very meaningful matchup. With the season winding down, Champions League football could very well be on the line for one (or both) clubs.
Season Headlines
PSG Buying the Title Again?
So much for Financial Fair Play. PSG added yet another ridiculously expensive superstar to their collection, one who will cost almost 30 million pounds more than the combined expenditure of title rivals Lyon and Marseille this summer. It’s not the players’ fault that the club is filthy rich, but the Parisians are essentially just buying another title at this point.
Best of the Rest
Since the title race will be more or less a one-horse race, the race to be the best of the rest will be the much more interesting one to follow. A second place team hasn’t stayed second in France in well over a decade, so history suggests Lyon will be on the move this year. But in which direction?
Marseille Meltdown
Marcelo Bielsa’s second season in the south of France can go two ways: It can either end in triumph, as he leads Marseille to another title, or it can end in flames and he gets run out of yet another town.
His track record suggests the latter is the more possible scenario, and although it would be a sad situation for one of France’s top clubs, it’ll definitely be interesting to watch how it all unfolds.
Writer’s Prediction
PSG clinches a fourth-straight title with relative ease. Monaco overtakes Lyon and takes second, and St. Etienne once again tops out at fourth. Meanwhile, Marseille implodes and finishes ninth, putting an end to the Bielsa era.
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