Paris (AFP)

A Paris SG only third at the truce behind the co-leaders Lyon and Lille, empty stands, a defective broadcaster ... Ligue 1 has experienced a singular fall, at the rate of the direct or indirect consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

- Mbappé, a goalscorer at a hundred miles an hour -

At least, this aspect has not changed: crowned top scorer of L1 in 2019 and 2020, Kylian Mbappé turned at the top of the scorers classification on Wednesday at the end of the 17th day, the last of 2020, scoring against Strasbourg (4-0) his 12th goal in thirteen appearances this season.

The symbol of a supersonic start of exercise for the 2018 world champion, who exceeded 100 goals with PSG in early December.

But despite its flashes, Paris appeared less domineering: the reigning French champion ended the year in third place, one point behind the Lyon-Lille duo.

The fault of his epic until the final of the Champions League rescheduled in August because of a pandemic, which deprived the club of a summer preparation.

Direct consequence: Too many injuries have weakened its workforce.

- Lyon, the invincible return -

On the top step of the podium to end the year, OL appear to be back on top.

Without the European Cup to put in their mouths this season, a first in the 21st century, Jean-Michel Aulas' club plays one match per week and easily keeps pace with L1, accentuating the sporting uncertainty of a competition too often confiscated by Paris in recent seasons.

The PSG-OL match on December 13 also turned to the advantage of Les Gones (1-0).

Rudi Garcia drew the best of the Kadewere-Toko Ekambi-Memphis Depay trio, which made OL the second best attack in the championship (34 goals) behind Paris (39 goals).

- Lille, turned upside down but attractive -

Despite an institutional upheaval, Lille remains on course.

Just bought by the investment fund Merlyn Partners due to its heavy debt, Lille showed no sign of weakness on the ground, approaching 2021 second in L1, and still in contention in the Europa League with a round of 16 in sight against Ajax Amsterdam.

Christophe Galtier's men also produce one of the most attractive games in France.

The Mastiffs are based on an intractable defense (12 goals conceded, smaller total of the championship behind PSG with 10 goals), symbolized by the experienced captain José Fonte.

And Lille are showing offensive power embodied by their Turkish duo Burak Yilmaz-Yusuf Yazici, respectively 7 and 5 goals this season in L1.

- Covid-19, the cold snap -

The coronavirus, which forced the premature end of the Championship last season, has not finished disrupting French football.

With the second wave of the pandemic, the maximum gauges of 5,000 spectators in stadiums at the start of the season were quickly reduced to 1,000 people, before giving way to closed doors.

Goodbye ticketing receipts for clubs, and goodbye to the atmosphere in the stadiums, where sometimes a pre-recorded soundtrack of fan chants does not mask the void.

The Covid-19 spared almost no L1 workforce, from Lens to PSG superstars Neymar and Mbappé, tested positive at the start of the season.

With consequences on the calendar: four matches had to be postponed.

- Mediapro, such an expensive shipwreck -

Bordeaux, stuck in the second half of the table?

Nantes, in the midst of a sporting and institutional stampede?

No: the biggest shipwreck of autumn in Ligue 1 is not the fact of a club but of its main broadcaster.

Mediapro, holder of 80% of L1's TV rights, was ejected Tuesday with loss and crash by the Professional Football League (LFP) after failing to meet its deadlines.

While waiting for the reallocation of rights, probably with a strong depreciation, the Spanish group with Chinese capital leaves a shortfall of several hundred million euros for French football.

And a channel, Téléfoot, which will not have lived six months, sacrificing about fifty journalists who described themselves Wednesday as "the turkeys of the farce".

© 2020 AFP