Nice Clinches Champions League Spot as Saint-Etienne Relegated on Dramatic Final Day of Ligue 1

In a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 Ligue 1 season, Nice sealed their place in next season’s Champions League with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Brest, while Saint-Etienne suffered relegation back to the second division after a tense final day.

Paris Saint-Germain had already wrapped up the league title before the weekend, with Marseille and Monaco also securing their spots in Europe’s premier club competition. However, the race for the remaining Champions League qualification spot went down to the wire, with Nice, Lille, Strasbourg, and Lyon all in contention.

Nice, owned by Ineos, ensured their fourth-place finish with a dominant display on home soil. Evann Guessand opened the scoring with his 12th league goal of the season, and Gaetan Laborde added two goals to the tally. Badredine Bouanani converted a penalty, while Terem Moffi and Ali Abdi contributed late strikes, completing a comprehensive win that confirmed their Champions League qualification. The team will enter the competition in the third qualifying round in August and must win two two-legged ties to reach the group stage.

Lille secured fifth place and a spot in the Europa League thanks to a late penalty from substitute Chuba Akpom in a 2-1 win against Reims. Meanwhile, Strasbourg’s hopes of European football took a hit after a dramatic 3-2 loss to relegation-threatened Le Havre, who staged a remarkable comeback and snatched victory with a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

Le Havre’s win lifted them out of the relegation zone, sending Reims into a relegation playoff against Metz for a chance to remain in Ligue 1. Strasbourg’s defeat allowed Lyon to leapfrog them into sixth place after a 2-0 victory over Angers, with Alexandre Lacazette scoring both goals to reach a career milestone of 200 goals for his boyhood club. Lyon are guaranteed European football next season, with the possibility of joining the Europa League or Conference League depending on the outcome of the French Cup final.

Saint-Etienne, aiming to avoid an immediate drop after just one season in the top flight, fell short with a 3-2 loss to Toulouse. Yann Gboho’s late winner confirmed the historic club’s return to Ligue 2.

PSG prepared for their Champions League final against Inter Milan by coming from behind to beat Auxerre 3-1, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring twice and Marquinhos adding a header. Marseille secured second place with a 4-2 victory over Rennes, highlighted by Mason Greenwood’s two goals, finishing as joint top scorer alongside PSG’s Ousmane Dembele.

Monaco endured a heavy 4-0 defeat at Lens, while Nantes assured their safety with a 3-0 win against already relegated Montpellier, wrapping up a dramatic and emotional finale to the Ligue 1 season.