Due to the impact of the international match day, Ligue 1 did not have a schedule last week. The league has now been beaten 29 rounds, and despite paris Saint-Germain's ups and downs in recent league games, they still top the table with 65 points, a full 12 points away from the lead of second-place Marseille.
With only nine rounds of the league remaining, perhaps the competition for Champions League places will be more intense than the title race. Today, let's take stock of these current Champions League battles in Ligue 1.
Marseille 53 points
Marseille's form picked up just in time, when everyone thought Sampaoli's side would fall out of the top three, and Marseille recently returned to the second place in the table with a wave of winning streaks, including the 2-1 defeat to the Côte d'Azur derby rival Nice in the last round.
The biggest problem with Marseille this season is their poor home record, with their record at Velodrome only tenth in the league. But interestingly, they are the team with the best away record in ligue 1.
However, their future fixtures will not be easy, with five away games in the remaining nine rounds, including next month's visit to the Parc des Princes facing Paris, and the penultimate round against Rennes.
Even back at home, they have two tough fights against Lyon and Strasbourg.
In addition to this, they also face a potential problem, that is, the two-line battle is likely to distract the team. In addition to the league schedule, Marseille also have a quarter-final with Greek side Thessaloniki next month.
Key players: Milik is a prolific goalscorer who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season. However, he wasn't always Sampaoli's first choice for the front. If the Argentine allows his side to play to Milik's advantage in the game, the Polish striker's goal could allow Marseille to break through.
Remaining fixtures: Saint-Etiennes (guest), Montpellier (Main), Paris Saint-Germain (Guest), Nantes (Main), Reims (Main), Lyon (Main), Lorient (Guest), Rennes (Guest), Strasbourg (Main)
Rennes 52 points
Whether Rennes can be in the league for the second time in the past three seasons has also become a topic of concern, in recent years Rennes has become a regular player in the European stage of Ligue 1 teams, and they can deliver good answers almost every season.
Rennes, who spent a lot of money on recruiting last summer, have been pinned on high hopes, and former Lyon and Guoan manager Genesio, despite the pressure, have quietly won five consecutive victories, and they are now back on track to rise to third in the league, and this season's goal is also to point to the Champions League.
Rennes are the most fiery team in Ligue 1 this season, they currently top the league with 63 goals and have scored a staggering 20 goals in their last five games. The forward combination of Terrier and Labod scored 16 goals each, and there were substitutes like Gilasi on the bench, plus the offensive threat of the midfield core Briro, Rennes's front-court attack line was luxurious.
Rennes have a strong squad depth and after being eliminated by Leicester City in the UEFA Europa League, they can now concentrate on the league. Only Paris Saint-Germain have scored more points at home than Rennes in the league, and Rennes will need to face Monaco and Marseille at the Rennes Park Stadium, as well as Brittany's nemesis Lorient. Their away games look even trickier, with stammers against Strasbourg, rivals Nantes and Lille, not to mention Nice in the next game.
Key player: Benjamin Brie is a midfielder with excellent goals and assists. A player who excels at set-pieces, he has contributed 10 assists this season, tied for first place with Mbappe and Messi. It's a good team-mate and his continued contribution on the offensive end has allowed Rennes to make an impact on the Champions League.
Remaining fixtures: Nice (guest), Reims (guest), Monaco (main), Strasbourg (main), Lorient (main), Saint-Etienne (main), Nantes (guest), Marseille (main), Lille (guest)
Nice 50 points
Like Rennes, Nice has invested heavily in the summer, particularly hiring Lille's championship coach Garger, whose goal is equally ambitious to qualify for the Champions League.
Although they fell out of the top three in the league after being beaten by Mediterranean rivals Marseille last weekend, they are still likely to achieve this goal. Nice are the team with the fewest goals conceded in Ligue 1, conceding just 23 goals, and they also took four points from Paris Saint-Germain, but in recent weeks they have lost to Lyon and Marseille, who have won just two of their last seven Ligue 1 games.
They were mediocre at home on the Allianz Riviera, and they often missed out against teams in poor form – Lorient, Troyes, Metz and Clermont have all beaten Nice this season.
This means that, in addition to the important matches against Rennes and Monaco, even games against some of the lower-ranked teams may be frustrating for fans. Lorient, Troyes and Saint-Etienne will all visit the Côte d'Azur in the coming weeks.
Another variable is the French Cup final with Nantes, which could distract the players, and it is also the first time in 25 years that Nice has hit the most important cup of French football.
Key players: Their defence has proven itself in the game, but Nice needs to score goals to make sure they win. Andy Delore has scored seven league goals for the team so far, including the recent last-minute win against Paris Saint-Germain. If he can improve his goal efficiency in the next games, maybe the team will go further.
Remaining fixtures: Rennes (Main), Lens (Guest), Lorient (Main), Monaco (Guest), Troyes (Main), Bordeaux (Guest), Saint-Etienne (Main), Lille (Main), Reims (Guest)
Strasbourg 48 points
Strasbourg has not finished in the top three since winning the only league title in their history in 1979. It would be an amazing achievement for this Alsatian team to be able to do so this season and qualify for the Champions League, now four points away from the top three with nine games left.
Stefan's side has been one of the focal points of the Ligue 1 season, scoring 50 goals in the league, behind Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain. Frontcourt Trident Arrock, Diallo and Gameelo combined to contribute 29 goals.
Strasbourg have lost just one of their 11 matches in 2022 and have remained unbeaten in their last seven matches. However, they have also drawn 4 of their last 5 matches. Their squad depth is relatively limited and maintaining the impact on the Champions League spot has always been a challenge for them.
If, from now until the final round of the league, they can retreat from several bad battles at home, then the final round against Marseille will be the decisive moment for them to let go. However, in their current form, it seems more realistic for them to prevent teams like Lille, Monaco and Lyon from overtaking themselves in order to retain their top five positions, and it is indeed extremely difficult to surpass the teams above them.
Key player: Born in Reunion Island, Ludović Arok has been linked to the French squad in the past. The high striker is enjoying another fantastic season, scoring 10 goals and having seven assists in the league. He's an interesting offensive leader and has a good chance of being targeted by other teams this summer.
Remaining fixtures: Lens (Main), Lyon (Main), Troyes (Guest), Rennes (Main), Lille (Guest), Paris Saint-Germain (Main), Brest (Guest), Clermont (Main), Marseille (Guest)