There is no question that this season has been a strange one in France. PSG are dominating the title race so comprehensively, we have already known for some time that the rest are effectively playing for second place.
The champions' total supremacy has come about for two reasons. Firstly, the club is reaping the rewards for its extremely intelligent recruitment through the years: the likes of Marco Verratti, Thiago Silva, Javier Pastore, Blaise Matuidi, Marquinhos and Thiago Motta all joined near the start of the Qatari era and have proved fine long-term acquisitions. It's one thing to have to money but another to spend it so wisely and to enjoy such a remarkable success rate in the transfer market. Just ask Manchester United fans. Secondly, PSG's rivals have been poor. Lyon and Marseille, in particular, have disappointed. As for Monaco, their performances have probably been par for the course - they were never likely to mount a title challenge after selling so many top players last summer (Martial, Kondogbia, Ferreira-Carrasco).
Utterly compelling
These two developments have had two clear consequences: the title race has been a procession (for the first time since Lyon were at their most awesome in the mid 2000s), and the battle for the European places behind PSG is utterly compelling. Monaco's good recent form has seen them seize the chance to move clear in second, but they can still be caught by the cluster of teams in the peleton. Indeed, the jostling for position behind Monaco is quite extraordinary, with four teams separated by a solitary point and only five points standing between Nice, in third, and Marseille, in eleventh.
Nice are one team to have truly taken advantage of the peculiar goings-on this term, and I fancy them to clinch one of the remaining European spots. Tonight Claude Puel's young tyros travel to Bordeaux, a side they beat 6-1 earlier in the season when the southerners were at their free-flowing, insouciant best. Hatem Ben Arfa scored two on that occasion and, of course, the mercurial dribbler has been central to Nice's fine campaign. Ben Arfa's injury will keep him out for the next few weeks, and that's a serious loss, yet Nice's squad is bursting full of youthful talent and they have the attacking ability to cope for a while without their brilliant France attacker.
Work in progress
Puel never misses an opportunity to remind the press that Nice have "the youngest squad in Europe", and the naivety that comes with inexperience has cost them at times. Indeed, they could and should have beaten ten-man Monaco a fortnight ago - a win that would have taken them above their neighbours in to second - but the principality club were very clever and, despite being largely outplayed, snuck a 1-0 win through a late goal.
Nice will learn to manage their games better and to play with more intelligence. In the meantime their skills and enthusiasm make them one of the best sides to watch. The tiny midfield trio of Nampalys Mendy (23), Vincent Koziello (20) and Jean-Michaël Seri (24) has been one of the season's success stories. The way in which they combine, playing simple, one-touch football, has drawn comparisons with Barcelona's midfield. They're not there yet, but if Puel can keep them at the club they could be bossing Ligue 1 games together next term. With a raft of teenagers already pushing the 'senior' first-teamers like Yoan Cardinale (21), Rémi Walter (20), Alassane Pléa (22), Wallyson (22), Valère Germain (25) and Ricardo Pereira (22), Nice's future looks to be in safe hands.
Tonight, Bordeaux will be looking to clamber back to within a point of Nice by winning in front of their own fans. They could also regain some pride following September's humbling loss at the Allianz Riviera. Nice, however, are not in third place through fortune. They play excellent, coherent, attractive football... and with the big guns stuttering, Puel's kids could well find themselves in next season's Champions League.
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