PSG -1000 Favorites to Win 2019-20 French Ligue 1 Title

• PSG open at hot favorites for the 2019-20 Ligue 1 title
• The champions looking for third in a row
• Lille and Lyon looking to close the gap

Six of the past seven Ligue 1 titles for PSG pretty much tells the story. Since the State of Qatar, through its shareholding organization, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), took ownership of the club in 2011, PSG have totally dominated French soccer. And with such wealth behind them, this dominance shows no obvious sign of abating.

2019-20 Ligue 1 Odds

*Odds taken 06/19/19. For a full list of teams visit the link in the table above.

PSG have already been installed as odds-on favorites for the 2019/20 season, with their nearest rivals, Lyon, several points adrift at +900. But how realistic are these odds, and are we seeing the first signs of the PSG bubble bursting? We’ll take a look.

❤️💙 #ICICESTPARIS pic.twitter.com/Ten8pYTZg8

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 18, 2019

Pressure From Above

The first thing to say is, there is no suggestion that QSI is about to walk away from PSG, so as long as they can remain within the Financial Fair Play (FFP) guidelines – something they have struggled with in recent seasons – they will always have a huge financial advantage. But there are rumors abound about their big names looking to leave the club.

Already this summer, both Mbappe and Neymar have been linked to big money moves away from Paris, and if the club were to lose one or both, it could be a sign that behind-the-scenes all is not well at the Parc des Princes.

Real Madrid’s stunning Kylian Mbappe boost as Manchester United dealt Joao Felix blow – latest transfer rumourshttps://t.co/5kNAZG7nxP pic.twitter.com/cM54P9KdPl

— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) June 10, 2019

Champions League or Bust

There’s also the Champions League factor that constantly hovers over PSG, with the owners expecting their massive investment to be rewarded, at some point, with the biggest trophy of all. To date, they haven’t been even close and with every passing season without the European Cup in the trophy cabinet, it’s almost certain their owners crank up the pressure another notch.

(GOL) ‼️ BANG – Neymar is looking for a house in Barcelona. His sister and mother will also be living in Barcelona.

He’s contacted the owner of his old house in Barcelona over a possible re-purchase.

This is absolute madness. pic.twitter.com/3BGkZ4imHK

— total Barça (@totalBarca) June 18, 2019

There is, therefore, the prospect of the club chucking everything they have at the Champions League and, in doing so, taking their eye off the Ligue 1 title as it slips down their list of priorities. Key too will be their transfer activity over the coming few months, especially if Mbappe and Neymar depart.

So, we’ve discussed why PSG may slip up, but is there anyone good enough to take advantage?

The Best of the Rest

Well, PSG will be joined in next season’s Champions League by second-place Lille and third-place Lyon, while fourth place Saint-Étienne qualified for next season’s Europa League. All of these, plus PSG’s arch-rivals Marseille, have squads capable of getting top four again.

The big question is, do any of them have enough to close what was a massive 16-point gap?

The problem for Lyon, in particular, is less about the new faces they can bring in over the summer but more about retaining their existing stars. Already they look almost certain to lose Tanguy Ndombele and Nabil Fakir to the English Premier League, so it’s hard to see them starting next season in a stronger position than they finished the last one.

Lille Worthy of a Shot

Lille were last season’s surprise team and it’s worth noting they only lost two more league games than PSG, conceded less goals and beat the champions 5-1 in April, so it will be interesting to see if they are able to strengthen this summer. At +2500 there are definitely worse bets out there for those who like to speculate.

Marseille, also at +2500, are equally worthy of a longshot bet. After a fallow period, the side from the south of France is looking to rebuild and start challenging their great rivals. At some point, this giant of a club is going to awake and it may just be next season.

So, while it’s hard to see past another PSG win, let’s hope for a more competitive Ligue 1 next season that may just produce a massive shock.

Our pick: Lille as a longshot (+2500)