Three home games, three away days, that’s how the 2025/26 run-in shapes up with potentially two ‘relegation six-pointers’. Beaten at Strasbourg (3-1), OGC Nice return to the Allianz Riviera for a very important game against Le Havre. Kick-off on Sunday is 5:15pm CEST for a key encounter in the fight to stay in Ligue 1.

Before the potentially crucial game at Auxerre on 9 May, Claude Puel’s men have two trips to Lille – the last team Les Aiglons defeated at home in the league – and Marseille with the Coupe de France semi-final at Strasbourg sandwiched in between. They’ll be back on home soil to face Lens in early May.

• MD29 Nice – Le Havre (Sunday at 5:15pm - 🎟️ Tickets)
• MD30 Lille – Nice (Saturday 18 April at 9:05pm)
• Coupe de France ½ final: Strasbourg – Nice (Wednesday 22 April at 9pm)
• MD31 Marseille – Nice (Sunday 26 April at 8:45pm)
• MD32 Nice – Lens (weekend of 3 May)
• MD33 Auxerre – Nice (Saturday 9 May at 9pm)
• MD34 Nice – Metz (Saturday 16 May at 9pm)

7 teams are currently in relegation danger. We take a look over Les Aiglons’ six rivals in the battle against the drop.

ANGERS

Beaten at home by Le Gym (0-2) on 14 March, Angers (12th, 33 points) have a comfortable cushion over the play-off place (10 points), but they have just one win from the last five games.

• MD29 Rennes – Angers (Saturday at 9:05pm)
• MD30 Angers – Le Havre (Saturday 18 April at 7pm)
• MD31 Angers – Paris SG (Saturday 25 April at 7pm)
• MD32 Auxerre – Angers (the weekend of 3 May)
• MD33 Angers – Strasbourg (Saturday 9 May at 9pm)
• MD34 Brest – Angers (Saturday 16 May at 9pm)

PFC ON A ROLL

The change of coach and the appointment of Antoine Kombouaré has given Paris FC (13th, 32 points) a big boost. Unbeaten in their last six league outings (2 wins) and with just one loss in their last 11 – including defeating Le Gym (1-0) at the start of March – they have momentum.

 

• MD29 Paris FC – Monaco (Friday at 7pm)
• MD30 Metz – Paris FC (Sunday 19 April at 17h15)
• MD31 Paris FC – Lille (Sunday 26 April at 17h15)
• MD32 Paris FC – Brest (the weekend of 3 May)
• MD33 Rennes – Paris FC (Saturday 9 May at 9pm)
• MD34 Paris FC – Paris SG (Saturday 16 May at 9pm)

 

DÉJÀ VU FOR LE HAVRE

France’s oldest club (14th, 28 points) returned to the top flight in 2023 and have managed to retain their hard-won status, firstly under Luka Elsner  and then in 2025 with Didier Digard at the helm thanks to a last-minute last-game Panenka penalty for victory in Strasbourg (2-3). Two seasons with a 15th-placed finish, just above the play-off place, will serve to spur them on, but with just two points from a possible 15 in their last five outings, HAC are going in the wrong direction and have four away games to come, starting in Nice on Sunday.

 

• MD29 Nice – Le Havre (Sunday at 5:15pm)
• MD30 Angers – Le Havre (Saturday 18 April at 7pm)
• MD31 Le Havre – Metz (Sunday 26 April at 5:15pm)
• MD32 Lille – Le Havre (the weekend of 3 May)
• MD33 Le Havre – Marseille (Saturday 9 May at 9pm)
• MD34 Lorient – Le Havre (Saturday 16 May at 9pm)

 

NICE GO TO AUXERRE ON MD33

With two trips followed by two home games and some tough teams (Monaco, Lyon, Lille), AJ Auxerre (16th, 23 points) have a chance to give themselves some breathing space with this weekend’s home game against FC Nantes. It’s still a little early to judge the importance of the Matchday 33 game with the Red-and-Blacks on 9 May – the second last game of the season – but it could be capital.

• MD29 Auxerre – Nantes (Saturday at 7pm)
• MD30 Monaco – Auxerre (Sunday 19 April at 15h)
• MD31 Lyon – Auxerre (Saturday 25 April at 15h)
• MD32 Auxerre – Angers (the weekend of 3 May)
• MD33 Auxerre – Nice (Saturday 9 May at 9pm)
• MD34 Lille – Auxerre (Saturday 16 May at 9pm)

NANTES IN LAST-CHANCE SALOON. AGAIN.

It’s been turbulent in Nantes over recent seasons, and after winning the play-off in 2021 against Toulouse, the Canaries are in trouble again. Second-from-bottom (17th, 18 points), they have been beaten three times in the last four games. They do have a game in hand, though it is against PSG at the Parc des Princes.

• MD29 Auxerre – Nantes (Saturday 11 April at 7pm)
• MD30 Nantes – Brest (Sunday 19 April at 5:15pm)
• MD26 Paris – Nantes (Wednesday 22 April at 7pm)
• MD31 Rennes – Nantes (Sunday 26 April at 5:15pm)
• MD32 Nantes – Marseille (the weekend of 3 May)
• MD33 Lens – Nantes (Saturday 9 May at 9pm)
• MD34 Nantes – Toulouse (Saturday 16 May at 9pm)

METZ STILL BATTLING

Promoted after defeating Reims in last season’s play-off, Metz are close to an immediate return to Ligue 2, but they’re not resigned to their fate. Bottom of the table (18th, 15 points), they have not won since defeating Nice (2-1) in early November, though they had what they thought was a winning goal in added time ruled out at Nantes last weekend. They go to Marseille on Friday and finish their season at the Allianz Riviera on 16 May.

• MD29 Marseille – Metz (Friday at 9:05pm)
• MD30 Metz – Paris FC (Sunday 19 April at 5:15pm)
• MD31 Le Havre – Metz (Sunday 26 April at 5:15pm)
• MD32 Metz – Monaco (the weekend of 3 May)
• MD33 Metz – Lorient (Saturday 9 May at 9pm)
• MD34 Nice – Metz (Saturday 16 May at 9pm)

 

Le 16ème de L1 disputera des barrages face au vainqueur des Play-offs Ligue 2 BKT (➡️ les règlements). Le 17ème et le 18ème seront directement relégués en L2.

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