After a summer in France dominated by an encapsulating Paris Olympics, it is time for Ligue 1 to take centre stage.
With 10 titles in the last 12 years, Paris Saint-Germain once again head into the 2024-25 as favourities to finish up on top again even without former talisman Kylian Mbappe.
The likes of Marseille and Monaco will be desperate for that to change but may have to settle for fighting out for the remaining two Champions League spots.
Lille, Lyon and Lens will also fancy themselves as in the hunt for Europe’s top table, while the likes of Angers, Auxerre and Le Havre look set for a battle against the drop.
Read on as we give you a rundown of the runners and riders for the crucial spots in France’s top division.
All odds were correct at the time of writing on 12 August and were available on bet365.
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Ligue 1 winners
Paris Saint-Germain (3/10)
PSG have been France’s dominant team ever since their Qatari takeover in 2011 and are working at a completely different level in terms of resources compared to their Ligue 1 rivals.
Last season, they won the league with a nine-point cushion ahead of second and lost only twice. This summer they have added promising midfielder Joao Neves to their ranks, as well as defender Willian Pacho and goalkeeper Matvey Savonov.
The Parisians of course need to work out what they will look like without Real Madrid-bound Mbappe but Luis Enrique still has more than enough quality to secure another title.
Marseille (12/1)
If you wanted to back an outside contender for the title then Marseille looks to be the best place to put your money.
Despite finishing eighth last season, they have enjoyed a productive season, appointing former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi.
The Italian has opted to take a chance on former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Valentin Carboni, Ismael Kone and Bamo Meite have also joined.
⚽️⚽️ in 3⃣ at the start of 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱’s Olympien journey ⚡️#FCAOM | 0⃣ – 2⃣ | ⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/qCWMqWlvoa
— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) August 10, 2024
Monaco (14/1)
Second-placed last season, Monaco will expect to among the top spots again this season.
Adi Hutter is not short of attacking talent at his disposal, with Aleksandr Golovin their star player, supported by former Premier League stars Folarin Balogun and Takumi Minamino.
The rest of their squad is packed with exciting young talent, a formula that has certainly worked for them in the past.
The race for the Champions League
Lille (3/1)
Marseille (5/4) and Monaco (2/1) are the bookies’ favourites to finish in the top three behind PSG but plenty of others, including Lille, are also in the race.
Their hopes have been dampened by the departure of Leny Yoro to Man Utd, while the potential sale of Jonathan David would also be a blow to their cause.
Lyon (7/2)
Lyon found themselves in relegation trouble early on last season but eventually finished sixth after winning 19 of their 28 games under Pierre Sage and find themsleves on a roll ahead of the new season.
With Mbappe and Wissam Ben Yedder leaving the league, striker Alexandre Lacazette is the leading active score in the French top flight with 46 goals in two seasons since returning to the club.
Lens (7/2)
Lens have also been handed a price of 7/2 alongside Lyon following a seventh-placed finish last term.
Now managed by Will Still after leaving Reims, they will hope to avoid the same drop off they suffered from in 2023-24, which could be difficult with European football to contend with.
Relegation contenders
Angers (11/8)
Newly-promoted Angers are the bookies’ favourite to drop straight back down after a second-placed finish in Ligue 2.
Lois Diony will be their key man after 16 goals last season but achieved promotion through their efforts of the whole team, something they will need again in 2024-25.
Auxerre (11/5)
Auxerre are another promoted team backed to drop straight back down despite winning Ligue 2 at a canter.
Head coach Christophe Pelissier will be hoping the goals flow in a similar fashion this season, with Ado Onaiwu and Florian Aye key to making that happen.
Le Havre (9/4)
La Havre look to be in real danger of relegation after a 17th-place finish last season in which they managed just seven wins.
Manager Didier Digard looks relatively inexperienced at this level and with their youthful squad, there is a danger they may get picked apart this season if they fail to gel immediately.
