Rennes edged out Lille and Monaco to secure a top-four finish while Nantes' first league win since February saw them stay up at Auxerre's expense on a dramatic final day of Ligue 1 action.

Rennes clinched a 2-1 victory against Brest thanks to a Benjamin Bourigeaud brace, seizing on Lille's 1-1 draw with relegated Troyes and Monaco's 2-1 reverse against Toulouse to take fourth.

Bruno Genesio's side thus secured Europa League football for next season, while Paulo Fonseca's Lille must settle for a Europa Conference League spot and Monaco missed out entirely.

Champions Paris Saint-Germain squandered a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss to Clermont, meaning they finished just one point clear of runners-up Lens, who ended the season with a 3-1 win at Auxerre.

That victory allowed Nantes to finalise a great escape in their final game, vaulting Auxerre to secure safety with a 1-0 win over relegated Angers.

Nantes therefore secured top-flight football for another year, evading the expanded four-team relegation zone by a single point ahead of the division being cut to 18 teams.

Auxerre, Ajaccio, Troyes and Angers will play in Ligue 2 next season, with Le Havre and either Metz or Bordeaux coming up from the second tier.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain closed in on the Ligue 1 title with a close-fought 2-1 win over Auxerre.

The France captain struck a brace inside the opening eight minutes at Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, who responded through Lassine Sinayoko in the second half.

Reigning champions PSG subsequently regain their six-point cushion at the Ligue 1 summit, and require just one point from their final two games to successfully defend their crown.

Meanwhile, 16th-place Auxerre remain just a point above the relegation zone after suffering their first defeat in eight home matches.

Mbappe broke the deadlock in the sixth minute, latching onto Fabian Ruiz’s pass and exquisitely twisting and turning away from his marker before poking a shot into the top corner.

The France captain doubled his side’s advantage two minutes later, bending in a brilliant first-time effort from 20 yards after Hugo Ekitike neatly dummied Lionel Messi's pass.

Messi also went close for the visitors when he shot straight at Ionut Radu, but it was not all one-way traffic as the hosts threatened through Rayan Raveloson, who rattled the crossbar from 25 yards out.

Auxerre pulled a goal back seven minutes after the restart. Nuno da Costa flicked Radu's long goal kick into the path of Sinayoko, who raced away from the defence before drilling past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Mbappe looked to have found his hat-trick late in injury time, only for VAR to overrule his finish, but PSG side clung on regardless to move closer to another triumph.

Christophe Galtier admitted he was concerned about fielding Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in Paris Saint-Germain's final match before the World Cup.

Messi returned from a minor Achilles injury to join Neymar and Mbappe in PSG's star-studded attack for their routine 5-0 win over Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

Mbappe opened the scoring early on before Carlos Soler scored one and set up Achraf Hakimi for another as PSG eased towards a seventh straight win in all competitions.

Galtier was able to replace Messi and Neymar in the 75th minute, with substitutes Renato Sanches and Hugo Ekitike helping themselves to a goal apiece.

While the superstar forward trio were eager to play a part in the contest, Galtier was glad all three came through unscathed before heading off to Qatar.

"The afternoon is perfect. I can't even say almost perfect, it's perfect," Galtier told Amazon Prime. 

"We only conceded one chance and had a serious match that everyone wanted to play. Nobody was particularly concerned about the World Cup. 

"It was probably me who was the most [concerned]. That's why I wanted to relieve Ney and Leo. Kylian stayed on the pitch, but he is 23 years old. 

"Ney had also stopped in the middle of the week during a session, while Leo was coming back from an overload in the calf. I'm happy with the entries of Renato and Hugo."

PSG have gone 22 matches without defeat under Galtier, winning 18 of those, and enter the World Cup break five points clear of surprise package Lens.

The Parisians have reached the 40-point mark after 15 games for the fifth time in their history, with no other team in Ligue 1 history doing so on a single occasion.

Galtier will now enjoy a short hiatus, which includes taking in a few World Cup groups in Qatar, the home of PSG's mega-rich backers.

"I'm going to take advantage of being with my family and my granddaughter," he said. 

"And then I'm going to Doha for four days to see three matches, including the match for the France team, alongside my president and my leaders."

Sunday's contest marked the first time since Messi arrived ahead of last season that PSG have scored four goals in a row without one of their superstar attackers being involved.

It was also a welcome first clean sheet in five matches for Galtier's side, with defender Presnel Kimpembe being used as a substitute ahead of linking up with the France squad.

"The World Cup is something we've been thinking about for a while, albeit in the back of our minds," said Kimpembe, who has had hamstring issues this season. 

"Now the first part of the season is over, we can focus solely on the France team. I was never worried about picking up an injury beforehand.

"Playing minutes today felt good. I am feeling positive, but the fact I was brought onto the field shows everything is fine."

Paris Saint-Germain restored their five-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 ahead of the World Cup break with a routine 5-0 win over Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring early on following some good build-up play from Lionel Messi, who returned from injury to join the France forward and Neymar in attack. 

A seventh win in a row for PSG in all competitions never looked in doubt when Carlos Soler added a second goal and then assisted Achraf Hakimi for the home side's third.

Christophe Galtier made full use of his squad depth and substitutes Renato Sanches and Hugo Ekitike added gloss to the scoreline with a couple of late goals.

The serene nature of the contest ensured Galtier could replace a number of PSG's Qatar-bound stars, with no players sustaining an injury problem of any sort.

Messi sent a delightful lofted ball over the Auxerre defence for Nuno Mendes to deliver a first-time pass towards Mbappe, who in turn helped it over the line with 11 minutes gone.

The goal stood following a VAR check for a possible handball against Neymar, but Auxerre nearly levelled as M'Baye Niang forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a fine save.

PSG toiled before Mendes took the ball past a couple of players and picked out Soler to glance a header away from Benoit Costil and in off the far post early in the second half.

Soler turned provider six minutes later when playing in Hakimi to coolly slot past Costil from a one-on-one position.

Messi hit the post but could not get his name on the scoresheet, though Sanches fired in off the post before fellow substitute Ekitike profited from some poor defending to coolly add a fifth.

Lionel Messi returned to training ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's final Ligue 1 fixture before the World Cup, as Christophe Galtier insisted he will not rest players against Auxerre on Sunday.

Messi missed PSG's 2-1 win at Lorient as a precautionary measure after suffering from inflammation in his Achilles tendon last week, though Galtier maintained the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was likely to return before the tournament in Qatar.

Just 11 days before Argentina begin their Group C campaign against Saudi Arabia, Messi has handed the Albiceleste a boost by joining France's Presnel Kimpembe in returning to PSG training.

While Galtier reiterated his desire to treat the concerns of his players seriously ahead of the World Cup, he is not planning to use Sunday's match as an opportunity to make changes.

"All the players are available except Fabian Ruiz," Galtier said on Friday. "No player came to tell me that he did not want to play or that he was afraid of making this last match.

"My door is always open. They know they can come and talk all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if a player came to see me and told me that he was apprehensive about the last game. 

"I have an obligation to put up a very competitive team against Auxerre. If there is strong restraint, I will be attentive to the comments of my players."

Senegal and Bayern Munich attacker Sadio Mane became the latest big name to suffer an injury scare on the eve of the tournament this week, but Galtier is confident in his medical team's ability to manage players' fitness levels.

"When I see an injured player like Sadio Mane, I'm always sad for him," Galtier added. "The relationship is very direct between my medical staff and the medical staff of the national teams. 

"All the doctors of the teams are informed of the state of our players. Our selected players will be operational for Sunday's match. The most important thing is to train well. 

"These players who are going to the World Cup are very high-level athletes and competitors. There may be this fear, but it is more around the environment of the players than from themselves."

Reims became the fourth Ligue 1 club since Sunday to ditch their head coach when Oscar Garcia was ousted – to be replaced by former video gamer William Still.

Just one win in 10 games in the French top flight cost Garcia, with assistant Still stepping up to become interim boss.

It represents the latest remarkable step in the career of Still, who turns 30 on Friday.

Still was obsessed with the Football Manager and Championship Manager series as a teenager and has said such games gave him the "impetus" to go into coaching as a profession, without having played any football at a full-time level.

He told Sport Bible in May: "I wanted to be able to talk to players. I wanted to have that relationship. I mean, I was alright at football but FM allowed me to have that glimpse of what it actually was like to manage a team.

"I actually think people that play Football Manager understand the game a bit more. You've got to go into a lot of detail to actually win things and be successful in the game, especially nowadays with it becoming more and more complicated."

Still took a degree at Myerscough College in Preston, England, going on to work with Preston's under-14 team before moving to Belgium, where his parents lived, and finding work with Sint-Truiden, Lierse and Beerschot.

Still is in a second stint with Reims, having briefly left to be assistant boss of Standard Liege. He has spoken of ambitions to manage in the Premier League and Champions League.

Reims announced he would take over for now in a statement that read: "In view of results below the expected objectives and in order to protect the best interests of the institution, Stade de Reims announces the temporary suspension of Oscar Garcia. The interim will be provided by William Still, current assistant coach."

Garcia is not expected to return to the role he held for 16 months, with Reims reportedly beginning their search for a permanent successor.

Reims have drawn five games this season, so Still is not stepping into the spotlight amid a full-blown crisis, with the team sitting 15th in Ligue 1, albeit just two points above bottom side Brest. They play Lorient in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Lyon set the ball rolling for sackings when Peter Bosz was dismissed on Sunday and Laurent Blanc named as his successor. Brest and Auxerre announced the departure of their coaches, Michel Der Zakarian and Jean-Marc Furlan, on Tuesday.

Ligue 1 referees have given out 11 red cards this weekend, the most in a single matchday in 30 years.

There were four dismissals in the game between Montpellier and Auxerre, while Nice also had two players given early baths as they fell to defeat at Clermont.

In total, six matches this weekend have had at least one red card awarded, with one game left to play between Lille and PSG on Sunday.

In comparison, there has only been one red card in both the Premier League and Bundesliga so far this weekend.

Another Ligue 1 campaign begins on Friday after a big window for French football, the highlight of which was Paris Saint-Germain retaining Kylian Mbappe.

New arrivals in the league include returns for Lyon duo Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso, while high-profile departures have seen Aurelien Tchouameni, Sven Botman and Nayef Aguerd depart.

With PSG once again investing heavily in their squad, adding the likes of Vitinha, Hugo Ekitike and Nordi Mukiele, the capital club are widely expected to storm to another title – but can there be an upset?

The verdict, unsurprisingly, is probably not – as Stats Perform AI predicted the outcome of the coming campaign, estimating the likelihood of teams finishing in each position informed by their expected results in each match.

These are calculated using betting odds and Stats Perform's team rankings – based on historical and recent team performances – and, while the title race is not likely to get going, there are some big battles elsewhere in the division.

PSG PARTY ONCE AGAIN

With one of the most expensive squads ever assembled, including the devastating attack of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, PSG are unsurprisingly expected to romp to another Ligue 1 success.

Having won eight of the last nine titles, Stats Perform AI has given PSG a 76.01 per cent chance of retaining their crown.

Marseille, runners-up last season, are seen as the side most capable of mounting a challenge, though their 7.29 per cent chance is slim. Monaco, title winners in 2016-17, are given a 6.55 per cent chance.

Lyon, once the dominant force in French football, have just a 4.29 per cent chance, while Rennes clock in at 3.44 per cent and Lille, the last side to prevent PSG from winning the title having lifted the trophy in 2020-21, have only a 0.71 per cent chance.

The gulf in class within French football is highlighted by the fact that nine teams, almost half of the division, are seen as having no hope in mounting a title challenge.

SCRAMBLE FOR EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Unlike the other top leagues in European football, France has a limited number of places for qualification for UEFA competitions with just two guaranteed Champions League spots, one qualifying spot, one spot in the Europa League group stage and one in the Europa Conference League play-offs.

With PSG expected to surge to the title and take the first of the two group stage spots in the Champions League, with a 90.93 per cent likelihood, the scrap for the other automatic qualification spot could be fierce.

Marseille are seen as the favourites in that battle with a 29.97 per cent chance, with Monaco following suit with a 29.97 per cent chance.

Elsewhere, Lyon have an 18.7 per cent chance, with Rennes at 15.53 per cent, though they may have to settle for a third-place finish or a spot in the Europa League.

In the battle for fifth, and a play-off spot in the Conference League, it's also expected to be tight – with five clubs, as well as those already mentioned above, given at least a five per cent chance of reaching that spot.

Nice, Lens, Lille, Nantes and Strasbourg are all in with an outside shot of gunning for a spot in European competition, which could set up a thrilling battle.

REGULATION CHANGES INCREASE RELEGATION FIGHT

With Ligue 1 reducing to 18 teams from the 2023-24 season, the fight to avoid the drop to the second-tier will be fiercer than ever with the bottom four all being relegated – and there will be no play-offs either.

The situation looks bleak for Ajaccio (57.64 per cent chance of relegation), Clermont (57.57), Troyes (56.72) and Lorient (53.92), all of which are seen as more likely to suffer relegation than they are to avoid the drop.

Auxerre (46.58) and Toulouse (34.02) could also find themselves looking over their shoulders during the course of the season, while PSG, Marseille and Monaco are the three sides given no chance leaving the league through the bottom.

Of the promoted trio, it is Toulouse who are given the best chance of maintaining their top-flight status for another season – with their most likely position being 15th, with a 10.59 per cent chance of securing that spot.

Saint-Etienne will start life in Ligue 2 with a three-point deduction for the crowd trouble that followed their relegation from the French top flight. 

The 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to Auxerre in May was followed by ugly scenes, with supporters clashing with police and security staff after storming the pitch and targeting players. 

The Ligue de Football Professionnel announced on Thursday that the club had been handed a six-point deduction, though three were suspended. 

Saint-Etienne will also play their first four home games of the season at an empty Stade Geoffroy-Guichard after two of the six-match ban they received were suspended. 

The club said in a statement: "Given the nature of the facts, Saint-Etienne has decided not to appeal the decision.

"The club appeals strongly to everyone's responsibility so that these unspeakable acts never happen again at the Geoffroy-Guichard."

Saint-Etienne have "strongly condemned" crowd trouble following the club's relegation from Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Auxerre secured promotion to the top flight with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory after the two sides were level at 2-2 on aggregate.

There were ugly scenes after Saint-Etienne's 18-year stay in Ligue 1 was brought to an end, with fans storming onto the pitch.

Flares were thrown at the main stand, while players appeared to be targeted by supporters, who also clashed with police and security staff on the field.

Saint-Etienne vowed to take action following a dark day for the 10-time champions of France.

A club statement said: "Despite an exceptional and reinforced deployment of nearly 500 agents, many supporters invaded the pitch at the final whistle of the match against Auxerre.

"Some were guilty of several degradations and acts of violence towards players, the security agents, police and the fans in the Pierre-Faurand stand

"ASSE strongly condemns these acts, gives its full support to those affected and will initiate the necessary legal proceedings."

Saint-Etienne fans stormed the pitch in troubling scenes after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Auxerre confirmed their relegation from Ligue 1 on Sunday.

The Ligue 1-Ligue 2 play-off at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard ended 1-1 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate, with Hamza Sakhi's 51st-minute strike for Auxerre cancelled out by Mahdi Camara and extra time failing to produce a winner.

Ryad Boudebouz missed the first spot-kick of the shoot-out and that proved costly as Auxerre went on to triumph 5-4 and secure their spot back in the top flight.

The winning penalty was taken by Auxerre captain Birama Toure and preceded home supporters storming the pitch in frightening scenes, with flares and smoke bombs launched in the direction of the turf, with reports some were also thrown towards the directors' boxes.

Some fans also appeared to target Saint-Etienne players on a regrettable night for the joint-most successful club in Ligue 1 history, who have won the title 10 times – the same amount as Paris Saint-Germain.