Ligue 2 Round 38: Paris FC Returns to Familiar Ground, Laval's Season Long Over

The final round of the Ligue 2 regular season kicks off simultaneously in the early morning of May 18th. This year sees the return of the promotion playoff, and with it, Paris FC has also made a comeback. As the saying goes, "third time's the charm," but Paris FC has now suffered defeat in the promotion playoff four times in a row. Will their more stable performance this season lead to a different outcome? Laval secured their successful survival in the league around the 30th round, resulting in a recent string of poor performances as players perhaps already have their vacation plans set.

Bastia vs. Paris FC - Ligue 2 Encounter

Last year, due to Ligue 1 contraction, Bastia's fourth-place finish was in vain. With the reintroduction of the promotion playoff this year, Bastia finds themselves out of form, with their highest achievable rank being seventh, even with one round left. Overall, Bastia has shown better form in the second half of the season, already securing 8 more points than in the first half, excluding the severely curtailed 2019-2020 season and last season without promotion playoffs.

Paris FC, on the other hand, has qualified for the promotion playoff for four consecutive seasons, except for the seasons without it. However, their rankings in those seasons never entered the promotion playoff zone, showing their affinity for the Ligue 2 playoffs. Like Bastia, Paris FC has relied on an excellent performance in the second half of the season to improve their standing. Not only have they gained 4 more points in the second half compared to the first 19 rounds, but out of their 11 defeats, only 3 occurred in the latter half, demonstrating their increasing stability.

In the last round, facing Guingamp who still had a slight chance to compete in the promotion playoffs, Paris FC played steadily and ultimately defeated their opponents with two goals from Diop, a forward who joined from the Greek league during the winter transfer window. Diop has scored 5 goals since joining Paris FC, only 3 goals behind the team's top scorer Hamel. If Paris FC manages to reach the promotion playoff, Diop will undoubtedly be a crucial attacking asset for the team. Paris FC only needs 1 point this round to secure their place in the promotion playoffs, so they have no need to accommodate Bastia, who holds an overwhelming advantage at home in Ligue 2.

Guingamp vs. Laval - Comfortable Season for Second-Tier Teams

Guingamp's performance this season has been similar to last season, with both seasons placing them in mid-table in Ligue 2. Many teams vying for promotion have begun to exert themselves towards the end of the season, but Guingamp has recently had a reverse trend, winning only two out of their last six matches, making the promotion playoffs seem increasingly distant. However, considering Guingamp's strength and ambition, their low point acquisition and few losses in their recent six rounds, including against Paris FC, Amiens, and Saint-Etienne, are not surprising. Laval ascended to Ligue 2 as champions of the National, staying for two seasons after a difficult survival last season, and they secured their survival early this season. After securing survival, Laval began to capitalize on their game results. In their last nine matches, they only managed one victory, making them the only team in the upper half with a negative goal difference. Will they have the intention to advance to the next level next season? Laval defeated Guingamp 2-1 at home in the first leg, but that was in the early stages of the season, and everything is settled now. There is no reason for Laval to not let Guingamp down on the road. In this game, Guingamp is expected to perform at 20% of its strength, while Laval will applaud its opponents.