Nice secured their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League with a commanding 6-0 win over Brest on the final day of the French Ligue 1 season, while former giants Saint-Etienne were relegated to Ligue 2 after a disappointing home loss.
Paris Saint-Germain had already wrapped up the title and joined Marseille and Monaco in clinching Champions League spots before Saturday’s finale.
But the final Champions League place remained undecided, with fourth-placed Nice leading a tight race ahead of Lille, Strasbourg, and Lyon.
Nice, owned by Ineos, left no room for doubt in their bid, as they ran riot on the Côte d’Azur. Gaetan Laborde scored twice, and Evann Guessand opened the floodgates with his 12th league goal of the season.
Badredine Bouanani added a penalty, while Terem Moffi and Ali Abdi rounded off the rout.
The result means Nice will begin their Champions League journey in the third qualifying round in August, needing to win two home-and-away ties to reach the group stage.
Meanwhile, Lille secured fifth place and a Europa League spot with a 2-1 win over Reims, courtesy of a late penalty by substitute Chuba Akpom.
Strasbourg, however, fell to a dramatic 3-2 defeat at Le Havre, a result that had major ramifications in the relegation scrap.
Le Havre, facing relegation, needed victory and a favor elsewhere. They pulled off a stunning comeback, scoring in the ninth minute of added time through Abdoulaye Toure’s second penalty to snatch all three points.
That last-gasp goal lifted them out of the relegation zone, pushing Reims into a relegation play-off against Metz.
Reims will now face a two-legged clash for top-flight survival, either side of next weekend’s French Cup final against PSG.
Lyon rose to sixth thanks to a 2-0 win over Angers, with Alexandre Lacazette scoring twice to reach 200 goals for the club where he began his career. It was a fitting send-off for the veteran striker, who is expected to leave this summer.
Lyon’s continental fate now rests on the outcome of the French Cup, if PSG win it, Lyon enter the Europa League, while Strasbourg will drop into the Europa Conference League.
Saint-Etienne’s hopes of survival were dashed as they fell 3-2 at home to Toulouse. Yann Gboho’s decisive strike condemned the 10-time champions to a swift return to the second division.
PSG, meanwhile, celebrated their league triumph with a 3-1 comeback win over Auxerre.
The visitors had taken a surprise lead through Lassine Sinayoko, but PSG responded with a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia double and a Marquinhos header. Goncalo Ramos saw a penalty saved, but the hosts held firm ahead of their Champions League final showdown against Inter Milan in Munich on May 31.
Marseille locked down second place with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Rennes at the Velodrome. Mason Greenwood was on target twice, once from the spot, and Adrien Rabiot also netted a brace.
Greenwood’s 21 goals in his debut Ligue 1 season saw him finish as joint-top scorer with PSG’s Ousmane Dembele.
Elsewhere, Monaco, already assured of third, were humbled 4-0 by Lens, inspired by a Neil El Aynaoui double. Nantes secured their Ligue 1 status with a comfortable 3-0 win over already-relegated Montpellier.
