Who's going down and who can be saved? It's busy down in the Ligue 1 table ahead of the penultimate matchday

It's going to be a hot night in the French championship - but not in the good end of the table. Relegation scrap has been going on all season, but no club has been mathematically consigned to Ligue 2 football just yet. However, there will be heartbreak for someone.

Girondins de Bordeaux are having a nightmare season and, in a way, they will be relieved if their demotion is confirmed tonight. They host Lorient and will be relegated if:

- They lose tonight;

- They beat Lorient but Saint-Etienne also win their match against Reims;

- They draw against Lorient and Saint-Etienne end up unbeaten.

The other strong candidate for the trapdoor is Metz. Last weekend, they gained a bit of hope with an unexpected 3-2 win over Lyon. But was it just delaying the inevitable? The Maroons will be competing in France's second tier next season if:

- They lose to Angers and Saint-Etienne are unbeaten against Reims;

- If they draw against Angers and Saint-Etienne win their match.

And what about Saint-Etienne? Once a powerhouse of French football, ASSE are currently in 18th place which doesn't mean relegation but doesn't guarantee safety either. Whoever finished in that spot will go head-to-head with Ligue 2's promotional play-off winners. Les Verts will hang onto that 18th place if:

- they draw against Reims, Metz lose against Angers and Bordeaux don't beat Lorient;

- they win and Metz do not.

Since their 1-0 victory in Metz in late April 20, Lorient chained three defeats (5-0 in Rennes, 2-1 against Reims and 3-0 against Marseille) are only just above ASSE with three points more. However, they could secure their survival if:

- They draw in Bordeaux and ASSE lose to Reims;

- They beat Bordeaux and ASSE don't win their game.

Clermont and Troyes could also secure Ligue 1 football for the 2022/23 season if they win their games today.

The amount of possibilities is enough to make your head hurt. But try to imagine what it's like for fans of those teams stuck in the bottom three of the Ligue 1!

LIGUE 1 - Round 37

Saturday

22.00: (2.55) Bordeaux (3.50) Lorient (2.95)

22.00: (1.51) Olympique Lyon (4.70) Nantes (7.25)

22.00: (1.96) Metz (3.50) Angers (4.10)

22.00: (1.28) Monaco (6.50) Brest (10.0)

22.00: (8.50) Montpellier (5.60) PSG (1.40)

22.00: (1.73) Nice (3.70) Lille (5.10)

22.00: (2.14) Rennes (3.50) Olympique Marseille (3.80)

22.00: (1.68) Saint-Etienne (3.80) Reims (5.50)

22.00: (1.50) Strasbourg (4.40) Clermont (7.00)

22.00: (3.45) Troyes (3.50) Lens (2.24)

***odds are subject to change