PSG have dominated the French top flight for several seasons with the Parisians habitually stockpiling the majority of Ligue 1’s star assets. Nevertheless, many of PSG’s divisional rivals have successfully nurtured their fair share of future talents, including Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba and more recently, Victor Osimhen and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Although Luis Enrique’s all-conquering outfit are sitting pretty at the top of the standings, there are several players who have impressed whilst plying their trade for the likes of Lens, Toulouse and Auxerre. We’ve used the latest statistics to select some of the top-performing players in the division, many of whom are unlikely to get the same level of exposure as their high-flying contemporaries.
6 Underrated Ligue 1 Players
Hamad Traore – Auxerre
Although Gaetan Perrin has received plenty of plaudits for his performances this season, it’s attacking midfielder Hamad Traore who has caught the eye for the Burgundy outfit. The Bournemouth loanee is the club’s top goalscorer and played a pivotal role in his club’s unexpected victory over high-flying Marseille at the beginning of November.
The 24-year old was signed by the Cherries for a fee of 25 million euros, having attracted the attention of scouts whilst playing for Serie A outfit Sassuolo. Although his loan spell at Napoli didn’t work out, he remains an effective playmaker who is happy to dictate and use his powerful lower body to move his team further up the field.
He’s played 41 progressive passes and has 29 progressive carries to his name, more than any of his Auxerre teammates. With 29 shots, 11 of which hit the target, he isn’t afraid to take aim, and will be looking to add to his current tally of six goals.
Bahereba Guirassy – Nantes
At just 18 years old, Bahereba Guirassy is far from the finished product, however, he’s made a positive impression for struggling Nantes. Goals have been an issue for The Canaries this year, with just 15 in their opening 13 outings, however, Guirassy’s cameo appearances have given fans some optimism going forward.
In just 112 Ligue 1 minutes, Guirassy has notched twice and taken four shots, three of which tested the opposition goalkeeper.
Nantes ended their losing streak by holding leaders PSG to a 1-1 draw at the end of November, however, they remain in the relegation zone and they’ll be hoping that their inexperienced marksman can help fire them to safety.
Zakaria Aboukhlal – Toulouse
Rotterdam-born Zakaria Aboukhlal made an excellent start to the 2023-24 season before a serious knee injury curtailed his campaign. The Moroccan international has been Toulouse’s leading light so far, finding the back of the net in four of his opening 12 appearances.
The two-footed winger has been primarily positioned on the left so far this season and is happy to sit on the shoulders of opposition defenders. He is particularly effective in a counter-attacking set-up and although the accuracy of his deliveries could be improved, his finishing ability remains one of his strongest suits.
Adrien Thomasson – Lens
Lens boast one of the division’s stingiest defences and have been breached on just twelve occasions so far. Alongside Facundo Medina, Adrien Thomasson has been one of the mainstays of their back-line and has won 22 of his 39 tackles so far. He’s also proven very effective at stopping the opposition from gaining ground and has made 19 blocks, a total which has only been bettered by his teammate Kevin Danso.
Although they were unsuccessful in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds, Les Sang et Or are hoping to replicate last season’s seventh place finish under highly-rated manager Will Still. Lens have taken the bookmakers by surprise on numerous occasions over the last couple of seasons and have already taken points off Nice, Lyon and Monaco, despite being priced up as outsiders in all three matches.
Punters have slowly started to latch onto Lens’ ability to frustrate the opposition and they are currently fifth favourites to finish inside the top four. As well as giving bettors the chance to take advantage of numerous sports betting signup bonuses, most online sites have also priced up numerous Ligue 1 outright markets including top six finish, top goalscorer and relegation.
Junya Ito – Reims
Although Keita Nakamura has outscored his fellow countryman Junya Ito, it’s the Japanese international’s all-round contribution which has enabled him to catch the eye this season. He’s scored three goals and claimed three assists, with an xAG of 3.9 in his first 13 starts.
He’s got a 50% shot on target accuracy and has played more through balls (5) than any other Reims player. He’s also swung in 109 crosses so far, a whopping 75 more than any of his teammates. He also tops the list for most successful take-ons (5) and the highest number of live passes (33).