France Ligue 1 predictions and odds

The 2020/21 season of the French Ligue 1 is here, and the stakes are as high as ever. Considering this is slowly becoming one of the most highly anticipated top-tier national leagues in Europe, betting on Ligue 1 matches is not something you’ll want to miss out on. 

As always, Betting Fellow is here to provide you with the best Ligue 1 betting tips and predictions. However, if you really want to make the most out of Ligue 1 betting, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of the competition. A smart punter knows how to put all relevant information to use – from the league’s history to the dominant teams and players. All of it can make the difference between a winning bet and a bust.

With that in mind, we’ve created this Ligue 1 betting guide to help you get started. It should present a nice introduction to those with little to no experience when it comes to the highest tier of French football

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Ligue 1 History and General Info

As we’ve already glossed over, the Ligue 1 is the top-tier association league for professional football in France. It is currently ranked as Europes fifth top national league after La Liga, the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, and Serie A.

Unlike some of its counterparts, Ligue 1 never went through too many name changes. It was founded as the National in 1932 but quickly switched to Division 1 – a name which remained intact until 2002, when the league acquired its current name. Of course, this doesn’t take into account the various sponsorships deals. For instance, the 2020/21 iteration is officially dubbed Ligue 1 Uber Eats.

The founding of Ligue 1 is closely tied to the emergence of professionalism in French football. The adoption of professional teams and leagues came around in the early ‘30s, similarly to most of Europe’s top-flight leagues. However, the move itself was quite controversial at the time. Many important teams of the era such as Strasbourg and Amiens SC refused to go along with the restructuring of France’s league system.

Either way, the first season was held in 1932 and featured 20 teams. The format was a bit different from what we have today, and it was changed a couple of times over the years. Still, relative to some other top-flight national leagues, the competition’s format remained largely consistent over the decades. One notable exception is the years of German occupation during World War 2 and Vichy France. During this time, Division 1 was abolished in favour of regional leagues. Either way, the French Football Federation does not recognize titles and championships in the 1939 – 45 period.

A Ligue 1 season is played between August and May of the following year. It consists of France’s 20 top professional football teams. All the other aspects of the competition are mostly consistent with other leagues of this kind. The teams each face off against every other team twice – once at home and once away. This brings the total number of matches to 38 games per team per season.

As always, the teams are then ranked based on a standard point system – 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and no points for a loss. In cases where teams have the same number of points, they are ranked based on goal difference, then total goals scored.

There are usually no play-offs in Ligue 1. The team with the most points is named champion. However, there are rare exceptions – if two teams are tied for a championship title, qualification to other competition, or relegation, the outcome is decided by a single match on neutral ground.

The two bottom-ranked teams are relegated to Ligue 2, the second tier of French professional football. Since 2016, however, the 18th-placed Ligue 1 team and the 3rd-placed Ligue 2 team face off for a spot in the next season of Ligue 1.

Interestingly, the top two French leagues also have a system called the Attacking Play Table. The table ranks teams based on most goals scored overall. The main idea is to promote more exciting aggressive play, but the table is completely separate from the main league standings and only offers monetary rewards.

Currently, the top 3 ranked teams qualify for the Champions League. The first two teams go directly to the group stage, while the third team enters the third qualifying round. Additionally, the 4th top-ranked team qualifies for the UEFA Europa League.

AS Saint-Étienne currently holds the record for most Ligue 1 titles overall. However, it should be noted that their latest triumph was back in ’81. The second spot is shared by Marseille and reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain with 9 titles each, while the third spot is shared by Monaco FC and FC Nantes with 8 titles. Marseille also hold the record for the most seasons spent in the League, with 71 total seasons in Ligue 1 as of the writing of this article. Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, hold the record for most consecutive seasons with 47.

In terms of players, Mickaël Landreau holds the record for most appearances with 618 total games between 1997 and 2004. Most of his career was spent at Nantes, though he also played over 100 matches for both Lille and PSG. Ligue 1’s most prolific goalscorer is Delio Onnis with 299 goals over 449 games between 1972 and 1986.

Ligue 1 Derby Matches

Often the best way to understand the dynamics of a certain league is to look at the most highly anticipated showodowns. So, which classic derbies make up the cannon of Ligue 1?

Le Classique

As the name might imply, the matchup between Marseille and Paris St. Germain is widely considered to be France’s answer to Ei Classico. As is often the case in such matters, the derby predates football and goes back to a traditional city rivalry between Paris and Marseille. Beyond that, these two clubs remain the most well-funded and arguably strongest clubs in France.

Choc des Olympiques

Dubbed the Clash of the Olympics because of the teams’ names, this is the highly anticipated showdown between Marseille and Lyon. Before the rise of PSG to their current heights, these two teams were the dominant clubs in France for years. The derby itself is noted for being based on mutual respect of two representatives of the highest echelons of French football, with very little bad blood between the teams and their supporters.

Ligue 1 Best Stadiums

Stade Vélodrome

Marseille’s home turf is a landmark in the history of sports in France. Built in 1935, the Vélodrome was expanded several times and can currently accept a total of 67,394 spectators. It is the biggest sports stadium in the country and regularly hosts UEFA international competitions, as well as various Rugby events.

Parc Olympique Lyonnais

Scheduled to hold the football events of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Grand Stade de Lyon is the second largest stadium in France with 59,186 seats. It was built relatively recently in 2012 and has served as grounds for various Ice Hockey and Rugby competitions in addition to being Lyon’s home turf.

Parc des Princes

Situated in the 16th arrondissement of Paris within walking distance of the Stade Roland Garros, the Princes’ Park has been PSG’s home turf since 1974. It used to be part of a forested parkland owned by the Royal Family in the far past, though the 47,000+ seats are a relatively recent addition.