End clap for Ligue 1. After 38 days in this 2021-2022 exercise, the teams of the French championship sealed their destiny on Saturday May 21. And this will rhyme with the Champions League for OM, winner of Strasbourg at the Vélodrome (4-0) and which grabs the place of dolphin of PSG. Disappointment for AS Monaco, held in check by Lens at Bollaert (2-2) because of a goal conceded in the last seconds. The Rocher club finished in 3rd place and will have to go through the dams to get a glimpse of the C1.
Behind, Stade Rennes went for the point of a draw in Lille (2-2) and won its place in the Europa League next season (4th). Carried by a flamboyant Andy Delort, author of a hat-trick in eight minutes, the Aiglons beat Reims (3-2) and finished in 5th place. They will play in the Europa League conference.
At the bottom of the table, Bordeaux, already almost doomed, won its last outing in Brest (2-4). Insufficient to avoid Ligue 2. Corrected by PSG at the Parc des Princes (5-0), Metz is also relegated. Thanks to a draw on the lawn of the Nantes Canaries (1-1), Saint-Etienne clinched 18th place and will play the decisive play-off against Auxerre next week.
> Relive the multiplex of the 38th and last day of Ligue 1
38th day ranking
@PSG_inside – @ChampionsLeague
@OM_Official – @ChampionsLeague
@AS_Monaco – @ChampionsLeague
4⃣e @Rennais Stadium – @EuropaLeague
5⃣e @ogcnice – @europacnfleagueYour feeling tonight or? pic.twitter.com/FuKLsqXZOQ
— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) May 21, 2022
Champions League: OM are a hit, Monaco can have regrets
It took a breath for the men of Philippe Clément. Virtually qualified for the next Champions League until the end of added time against Lens, the Monegasques saw their hopes dashed. Blame it on a lucky goal from Ignatius Ganago (2-2, 90th + 6) at Bollaert. It could not be more infuriating for the Rocher club, which will have to negotiate an always complicated elimination phase, in the heart of summer, to definitively validate its ticket in C1.
For its part, Olympique de Marseille did the job (very) well at home against Strasbourg (4-0). Main architect of the card of the Olympians, the Brazilian midfielder Gerson scored twice. The Marseillais even dreamed for a time of making up for their delay in terms of goal difference against the Monegasques (-4 before the start of the 38th day). They were finally able to count on the help of the Lensois to leave their Riviera neighbors to their regrets.
Back !
For the 1️⃣6️⃣th time in its history, our OM will find the @ChampionsLeague next season!
BUT TIÉ FADA OR WHAT!!!!! #UCL pic.twitter.com/uMvOQMg3Gu– Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) May 21, 2022
C3 and C4: European Rennes and Nice, Strasbourg cracked
After the Europa Conference League this season, Stade Rennais will return to the Europa League next year, after leaving it in 2019-2020. The men of the best coach of the season, Bruno Genesio, clung to their fourth place until the end. Thanks to a head in additional time from Serhou Guirassy against Lille (2-2, 90th + 3), the Bretons join Nantes in C3.
The last European folding seat returns to Nice. Coming back from hell against Reims after trailing by two goals in the first half, the Aiglons can thank Andy Delort. The 30-year-old center forward got his side back on track by scoring three goals in the space of eight minutes. Christophe Galtier’s men thus beat those of Julien Stéphan, corrected by OM at the Vélodrome and who saw his dream of C4 go up in smoke.
5th in Ligue 1 after this final stunning evening and this hat-trick of@AndyDelort9I’#OGCNice will play in the playoffs@europacnfleague next season #IssaNissa pic.twitter.com/l6INnMNUMH
—OGC Nice (@ogcnice) May 21, 2022
Maintenance race: Saint-Etienne offers itself the place of barrage, Bordeaux and Metz in Ligue 2
The contract was almost impossible for Bordeaux to fulfill. Red lanterns with a goal difference almost impossible to overcome during this 38th day, David Guion’s players have, at the very least, come out the front door of this nightmare season against Brest. A 4-2 success – the sixth of this 2021-2022 exercise – as a note of hope before returning to the second division of French football.
Metz will support the Girondins in this difficult Ligue 2 adventure. Severely beaten at the Parc des Princes (5-0), Frédéric Antonetti’s players could not count on a misstep from Saint-Etienne to recover 18th place. Romain Hamouma snatched a point from a draw (1-1, 79th) which changed everything against Nantes. Because the Greens of Pascal Dupraz keep a chance to stay in the elite. It remains to be seized during the barrage against Auxerre next week.
10 – Metz are directly relegated to Ligue 2. This is the 10th time that the Lorraine club have descended to the 2nd division, equaling Strasbourg as the most often relegated club in the history of Ligue 1. Elevator. #PSGFCM pic.twitter.com/8IetLuUHTU
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) May 21, 2022