The Excitement of Ligue 1: Key Matches, Transfers, and Title competition for the 2024/2025 Season

Ligue 1 returns for its 86th season. There are many key games to look out for in the upcoming season. Iconic games like "Le Classique" between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille, and fierce derbies such as the Rhône-Alpes Derby between Lyon and Saint-Étienne, capture the intense rivalries and passionate atmosphere that define French football. This and much more is available for fans to watch. With every season being different to the last, it is important to acknowledge what changes have occurred during the summer break. Let Football Tickets Store will guide you through these changes as well as other notable highlights that make the start of the 2024/2025 Ligue 1 season so exciting.

To acknowledge the elephant in the room, let's discuss the transfers that have occurred during the summer break. Whilst there haven't been many expensive signings in Ligue 1, there have been some big money departures. PSG star, Kylian Mbappé, has left the club on a free transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid on a contract valued at 45 million euros a year. Mbappé was one of the club’s best players from his arrival in 2017 being Ligue 1 player of the year on 5 occasions and the league's top scorer on 6 occasions. With him having such an influential impact on the league, it will be interesting to see how the competitive dynamic will shift in his absence. An even bigger concern rests in the hands of PSG, who have just lost a key foundation of their squad and need to find a replacement quickly to maintain their dominance in the league and compete effectively on the European stage. If they achieve this objective is yet unknown; only time will tell. Another key player is Leny Yoro who has transferred from Lille to Manchester United in a deal worth 62 million euros. This youngster made quite the impact for his club last season, appearing 32 times and helped Lille keep 15 clean sheets last season. With him only being aged 18 years old, it's exciting to see where his career will take him in the future. In a league renowned for harbouring youth talent, it comes as no surprise that emerging stars frequently rise to prominence here, showcasing their skills on one of football's most competitive stages.

Following the upcoming season ahead, some changes have been made to the roster of teams taking part in this year's tournament. Lorient, Clermont foot, and Metz have all been relegated to Ligue 2 after finishing bottom of the table. Lorient and Clermont foot received automatic relegation after finishing 17th and 18th at the end of the 2023/2024 season. However Metz, who finished 16th were given a chance to defend their position in the top flight through play-off matches against Saint-Etienne. Despite this, it never came to fruition with Saint-Etienne triumphing and taking their place. Besides this the other two teams who secured automatic qualification are Auxerre and Angers who finished top of Ligue 2. Auxerre and Angers demonstrated great resilience in their return to the top flight. Upon being relegated at the end of the 2022/2023 season, they both reorganised themselves and after spending 1 season in the second division, now return to Ligue 1. With the arrival of these new teams, the dynamics of Ligue 1 are set to shift, promising fresh challenges and exciting matchups that will test the established clubs while providing a platform for the newly promoted sides to prove themselves.

With so much skill making up Ligue 1, there are many viable teams competing for the title. PSG are seen as the most likely candidates. Fresh off of another successful season where they not only won the league title but also the domestic cup, the Parisian side will be motivated in being able to repeat their efforts and win their 13th league title. Despite the absence of Mbappe, Luis Enrique remains confident that they will keep their place as France’s best. Bookmakers seem to agree with this giving PSG odds of ⅓ to win the title. Monaco are another club who could be potential competitors. After a successful season where they finished 2nd, Monaco will be motivated to take their success further and win the title of French champions. With Adi Hutter under the helm it will be interesting to see how far they can make this dream a reality. PSG’s historic rivals, Olympique Marseille, are also expected to be tough competitors, aiming to leverage their passionate fan base and improved squad to challenge for the title and disrupt PSG's dominance in French football. Recently appointed manager Roberto De Zerbi will have much to prove to the fans who will be expecting significant improvement after their 8th place finish last season. Bookmakers believe Monaco and Marseilles both hold the ability to compete with PSG giving them odds of 10/1 and 14/1 respectively in clenching the title. Whilst we have named only three of the most likely contenders,it is important to remember that the unpredictable nature of football means that any team could still rise to the occasion and clinch the title, making for an exciting and competitive Ligue 1 season ahead.

From top teams such as PSG, Marseilles, Monaco, Lille, Lyon and many more, witness the best talent French football has to offer. Purchase your tickets with the Football Tickets Store. Thanks to our secure online booking system your tickets will be delivered effortlessly and hassle-free, ensuring you have more time to enjoy the game ahead. Experience Ligue 1 with Football Tickets Store!