There’s a lot more variety to our Ligue 1 All Star XI than the previous two leagues, with as many as eight different clubs supplying players. Champions Lille have, unsurprisingly, the most players in the XI, with a total of three. The big shock is the omission of Eden Hazard, France’s Player of the Year, with Pairs St Germain’s Nene taking the left wing berth at the youngster’s expense:
Alexis Thébaux was the top-rated goalkeeper in Ligue 1 in spite -or perhaps because- of playing for the third-worst defence in the division. The Caen keeper won 5 Man of the Match awards in his 35 starts and although he conceded 51 goals, Thébaux still managed to chalk up 11 clean sheets for a rating of 7.13.
Ludovic Sané showed his adaptability for Bordeaux last season, playing as a right-back, centre half and defensive central midfielder over his 33 appearances. Sané grabbed 2 Goals and had a respectable goal threat for a defender, with just 0.6 Shots and 0.52 Key Passes per game. He picked up 2 Man of the Match awards and had a 79% Pass Accuracy but Sané’s defensive stats were, unsurprisingly, his strong point: 1.8 Tackles, 2.5 Interceptions and an impressive 4.8 Clearances which, along with a 79% Aerial Duel success rate, earning him as average 6.93 per match.
Bruno Ecuele Manga was a rock at the heart of Lorient’s back-four, as the 22 year old made 31 appearances, chalking up 13 Clean Sheets (nine at home, four away) for the season. Manga scored only 1 Goal but his distribution stood out, with an 87% Pass Accuracy. He won 70% of Aerial Duels and his presence in the Lorient defence is highlighted by his defensive stats; 1.8 Tackles, 2.3 Interceptions, a brilliant 8.1 Clearances and 0.7 Blocked Shots per game. Manga also picked up 1 Man of the Match for an average of 7.00.
Mamouda Sakho of Paris St Germain was another centre half whose ball-winning skills stood out from the crowd last season, as he averaged 2.6 Tackles, 1.8 Interceptions, 6.7 Clearances and 0.9 Blocked Shots, helping PSG to pick up 10 Clean Sheets. Sakho was fantastic in the air, winning 72% of Aerial Duels and his risk-free distribution saw a 84% Pass Accuracy. He also showed his worth at the other end of the pitch, scoring 4 Goals in his 35 starts and picked up 1 Man of the Match for a rating of 6.98.
Boukary Dramé’s importance to the Sochaux defence is highlighted by the fact that the club kept 6 Clean Sheets in the 23 games he started but without the left-back in the starting XI, they managed just 2 in the other 15. Dramé showed his attacking threat with 2 Goals, averaging 0.5 Shots per game, and 2 Assists, with an 86% Pass Accuracy. At the back, his presence was crucial; 65% of Aerial Duels won, and 2.5 Tackles, 1.6 Interceptions and 6.2 Clearance per match meant Dramé was our top rated Ligue 1 defender, with a match rating of 7.03.
Gervinho had an outstanding season on the right of Lille’s front three, with a series of performances that have seen him catch the eye of many of Europe’s elite clubs. He was second top scorer for the champions, with 15 Goals and was their main creator with 10 Assists, as the Ivorian contributed to 25 of his side’s 68 Goals. Gervinho made 1.31 Key Passes per game with a 80% Pass Accuracy and his threat is shown further with 2.1 Successful Dribbles and 2.2 Shots per game, as he picked up 6 Man of the Match awards in his 33 starts for an average of 7.16.
Marvin Martin had such an impressive campaign he ended up top for Assists right across all five of Europe’s top league, his total of 19 one better than Lionel Messi. Playing in the hole behind a front two, Martin is not so much full of tricks (he makes 0.7 Successful Dribbles per game) but relies on his eye for a killer pass (he averaged 2.14 Key Passes and had an 82% Pass Accuracy) to make the difference. He scored just 3 Goals, averaging 1.55 Shots per game but surprisingly only picked up 3 Man of the Match awards in his 37 starts, managing a season rating of 7.25
Yohan Cabaye was superb in the midfield engine room for Lille, impressing defensively and going forward in equal measure in his 36 starts. Similar to team mate Gervinho, Cabaye has plenty of interested parties on the back of last season’s form, with a move to Newcastle United rumoured to be imminent. Cabaye made 3 Tackles and 3 Interceptions per game and was just as good in distribution; a Pass Accuracy of 82% and 1.61 Key Passes per game brought him 9 Assists, second highest for Lille. He also managed 1.8 Shots per game and netted 2 Goals on his way to picking up 5 Man of the Match awards for a season rating of 7.21.
Nene takes the left wing role in our XI for a series of performances that leaves Lille’s brilliant young winger Eden Hazard on the sidelines. Nene was fundamental in helping PSG to fourth place, finishing top for Goals (14) and Assists (9) with 2.6 Shots and a phenomenal 3.43 Key Passes per game. He impressed across every category in his 35 starts, with 1.5 Tackles and 1.5 Interceptions added to 1.7 Successful Dribbles and 3 Crosses per game seeing Nene pick up 13 Man of the Match awards and end the season as top-rated Ligue 1 player, with an average of 7.64.
Lisandro made 24 starts for Lyon last season, starting as a centre forward in the main, but playing wide left when the need called. His goals returns were sensational, with 17 Goals and 6 Assists despite missing a third of the campaign. Lisandro had a fairly low Shots per game (1.9) showing how clinical he was in front of goal. His 1 Key Pass and 0.9 Successful Dribbles per game indicate a lack of creativity but with his ability to find the net, Lisandro stood out enough to pick up 6 Man of the Match awards for a rating of 7.21.
Moussa Sow was Ligue 1’s top scorer, as his 25 Goals helped Lille to the title. Sow made 33 starts and, unsurprisingly, threatened the opponent’s goal more than any Lille player, with 2.4 Shots per game. Playing as a lone centre forward, creativity is not his strong point, with just 3 Assists from an average 0.89 Key Passes. Sow made just 1 Dribble per game, leaving the trickery to Gervinho and Hazard, but his clinical finishing saw him pick up more Man of the Match awards (7) than any of his team mates, with Sow’s season average 7.25.
