FEATURE | Why are the goals drying up in Ligue 1?

“There is no action, no shots on target,”  complained France U21 manager Thierry Henry after Round 12 of Ligue 1. Only 12 goals were scored in eight games across the weekend. Low-scoring games have become a trend in the French top-flight this season and an untimely one. Amidst the LFP’s unsuccessful attempts to auction the Ligue1 broadcasting rights, the perceived lack of entertainment in recent weeks could have far-reaching consequences. 

“It isn’t even necessarily the [lack of] goals [that are making Ligue 1 boring currently],” added Henry in his press conference this week. However, there is no denying the trend: fewer goals are being scored in Ligue 1 this season. For the last two seasons, exactly 1067 (2.8 goals per game) goals have been scored in Ligue 1. Those figures were in line with a long-term trend of more goals in France’s top-flight per season. 

However, only 261 goals have been scored so far this season at a rate of 2.48 goals per game. Should scoring continue at the current rate, there will be just 740 goals this season, albeit with two fewer teams. Round 11 saw the least goals scored in six years, with only 13 shots hitting the back of the net. Three of those came at the Parc des Princes as Paris Saint-Germain beat Montpellier HSC 3-0. Round 12 saw even fewer goals (12), although only eight matches took place with Stade Brestois’ fixture against RC Strasbourg Alsace postponed.

However, the reduction of teams in Ligue 1 makes comparison to past seasons difficult. Only 18 teams are competing in France’s top-flight this season as opposed to 20 in previous years. Speaking back in 2021, Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin expressed fear of the type of football that this decision would engender. 

“If we go down