Due to the anomalous schedule of the FIFA World Cup, Ligue 1 resumes prematurely this year, as do many other prominent European soccer leagues. In contrast, the next season begins in even less than a week. Meanwhile, various speculation is being made about which team has greater chances to win the league this time. so which club are favourites to win Ligue 1? Let’s find out below.
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France’s premier football competition, Ligue 1 is going to begin on 6th August, 2022. However, 20 teams will be playing in the upcoming 22/23 season. Likewise, some of the teams that are promoted to Ligue 1 to play in the upcoming season are Toulouse, Ajaccio, and Auxerre.
Lille failed to retain their championship last season, finishing 10th and 31 points behind champions PSG. In that regard, Paris Saint-Germain is the overwhelming Ligue 1 favourite to win the league on 22/23.
Read more: Clubs that are Favourites to win La Liga in the 22/23 season >>
Nonetheless, teams including Lyon, Marseille, and Monaco might enjoy the possibility of surprising the Ligue 1 chances of winning in 2022-23. Despite plenty of eager competitors waiting to strike, the perennial champs may not have everything their way.
So, can other teams close the gap?
Past Ligue 1 Winners
| Seasons | Winners |
| 2021/22 | PSG |
| 2020/21 | Lille |
| 2019/20 | PSG |
| 2018/19 | PSG |
| 2017/18 | PSG |
| 2016/17 | Monaco |
| 2015/16 | PSG |
| 2014/15 | PSG |
| 2013/14 | PSG |
| 2012/13 | PSG |
| 2011/12 | Montpellier |
| 2010/11 | Lille |
| 2009/10 | Marseille |
| 2008/09 | Bordeaux |
| 2007/08 | Lyon |
| 2006/07 | Lyon |
| 2005/06 | Lyon |
| 2004/05 | Lyon |
| 2003/04 | Lyon |
| 2002/03 | Lyon |
| 2001/02 | Lyon |
However, let’s find out which clubs might end up in the top five and are favourites to win Ligue 1 in the 22/23 season.
Clubs that are favourites to win Ligue 1 in the 22/23 season.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
Even though you don’t appreciate anything at all about French soccer generally, you must know that PSG has a massive lead over the entire league. In the last 10 seasons, PSG has won 8 Ligue 1 titles and currently dominating the league.
PSG dethroned Lille to win their 10th title last season and equalled the record with Marseille for most Ligue 1 title wins.
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However, their championship defence received a significant push just before last season finished. It was because Kylian Mbappe unexpectedly extended his contract with PSG for three years.
Following the resignation of Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier will manage PSG into the next season. Nevertheless, Galtier understands what it means to win the Ligue 1 title after leading Lille to the crown in 2020-21.
Further, PSG’s squad is valued at €933.10 million, thanks to stars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Navas, Icardi, and others.
It stands to reason that PSG is the overwhelming favourite. In fact, they have consistently had the league’s best team over the years.
Marseille
PSG’s rivals finished second in the last season, although 15 points behind PSG. However, they held off a siege from the clubs like Rennes, Monaco and Nice to finish second.
Even though their most recent victory was in 2009/10, it’s just a period of weeks until they compete for the title once more.
Marseille has now lost a crucial player in midfield Boubacar Kamara, but meanwhile, the youthful Dimitri Payet will lead the way. Following that, the winger had 12 goals and 10 assists last season and will lead the club to fight the Ligue 1 heavyweights.
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Nonetheless, the club boasts a plethora of promising young players anxious to show themselves in 22/23. Similarly, some of the players who can lead the team to triumph in the upcoming weeks are Cengiz Under, Matteo Guendouzi, Gerson, and Duje Caleta-Car.
However, if they could somehow sustain that level of effort throughout the season, Marseille might be a serious contender for the title this year.
Olympique Lyon
Lyon got to finish eighth in the league’s previous campaign, their poorest league position after 1995/1996. However, due to their outstanding past, they are regarded as among PSG’s main rivals.
As shown in the chart above, between 2001/02 and 2007/08, Lyon won seven consecutive Ligue 1 championships. Since the year, the team has finished in the top three 8 times in 14 seasons, notably three times as runner-up.
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However, the club has indeed been busy in the transfer window, adding Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso to the squad. Nevertheless, these strong signings will indeed benefit the team.
Read more: Who are the favourites to win Bundesliga in the 22/23 season? >>
After having lost midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, the club is likely to recover, but further departures are also possible. Likewise, Lucas Paqueta is heavily linked with clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Nonetheless, Lyon has a slew of promising young players. Lyon’s best is yet to come, with young talents like Tete, Castello Lukeba, Rayan Cherki, and Maxence Caqueret. Though, the club is one of the favourites to win the Ligue 1 this season.
AS Monaco
Monaco is one of the very few clubs over the last couple of years to ever have halted PSG from collecting the trophy. As a result, it stands to reason that Monaco is among the favourites to win Ligue 1 title.
Furthermore, the club has seven top-three results in the past nine campaigns, as well as a handful of second-place results. Which somehow informs you regarding their stability.
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Nevertheless, Wissam Ben Yedder is without a doubt Monaco’s head honcho. Over the last three seasons, the explosive forward has scored 63 goals in 100 Ligue 1 appearances. Additionally, the striker also shared the 2019/20 Golden Boot award alongside Kylian Mbappe.
Furthermore, the club has also signed various players during the summer transfer window such as Takumi Minamino, Breel Embolo, Thomas Didillon, and Arthur Zagre.
Therefore, it won’t be much shocking if they achieve better than last season.
Stade Rennais FC (Rennes)
Rennes, which has four top-six finishes over the previous five campaigns, is important to keep an eye on in 2022/23. However, the team finished third for the first time in 2019/20, after finishing fourth the previous season.
Although they have never won the Ligue 1 title, they did win the Coupe de France trophy during the 2018/19 season. They will, however, be anxious to add another trophy to their cabinet during the forthcoming season.
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Further, they also signed a couple of players to bolster their roster, including Arthur Theate and Steve Mandanda. Similarly, the club promoted Junior Kadile and Elias Damergy from their B team to compete in the forthcoming season.
Nevertheless, there’s still a small chance for them to win the title but they will surely finish the season in the top 5.
