The goalkeeper
The suspense was not too great for the position of goalkeeper.
Walter Benitez (OGC Nice, 29)
was acclaimed by members of the
Figaro
sports department .
The Argentinian has had a full season with OGC Nice, allowing the Aiglons to be the best defense in the championship on a par with that of PSG (36 goals conceded).
In particular, he has 14 “clean sheets” to his credit, that is to say matches while keeping his clean sheets.
Alban Lafont, also author of a remarkable 2021-22 exercise with FC Nantes, still obtained several votes, while Lyonnais Anthony Lopes was cited once.
Note that Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was named best goalkeeper of the season on the occasion of the UNFP Trophies, did not collect any of our votes.
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
The defenders
In central defense, a player was unanimous.
This is
William Saliba (OM, 21)
, excellent with Olympique de Marseille since the start of the season, even if he experienced - as he conceded - a short drop in speed during the first weeks of the year 2022. Due to his athletic qualities, anticipation but also the ball at his feet, the young French international has established himself as one of the essential elements of Jorge Sampaoli's system.
In our typical team, he is associated with
Dante (OGC Nice, 38 years old)
, who also received most of the votes.
The captain of the Aiglons, long injured last season, has regained his best level since last summer.
Thanks to his knowledge of placement and his experience, he is no stranger to the incredible defensive performances of the Riviera club.
His friend from the Nice hinge Jean-Clair Todibo was also cited by our editorial staff, as were the Parisian Marquinhos, the Lyonnais Castella Lukeba and the Strasbourgeois Gerzino Nyamsi.
SEE ALSO -
William Saliba's debut with Olympique de Marseille
On the sides, the debates were not tighter.
Jonathan Clauss (RC Lens, 29 years old)
has again shown a lot on the lawns of the French elite this season with no less than 5 goals and 11 assists.
Benefits that opened the doors of the France team to him and which allow him to appear - logically - in our eleven.
On the left is
Caio Henrique (AS Monaco, 24)
which has been selected by our sports department.
The Brazilian, author of 2 achievements and 8 offerings, is one of the few players from the Principality club - with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Wissam Ben Yedder - to have been consistent throughout the season.
If the formation of the Rock is European, it is among other things because it was able to show itself to be decisive.
Other side have collected votes: the Parisians Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, the Rennais Hamari Traoré, the Strasbourg residents Frédéric Guilbert and Dimitri Liénard as well as the Marseillais Luan Peres.
Our typical team is aligned in a classic 4-4-2.
Le Figaro
.
Midfielders
In midfield, places were hotly contested.
The Phocaean Mattéo Guendouzi, very good since his arrival on the Canebière, was very close to being part of our typical team of the season.
He was overtaken by two other players:
Seko Fofana (RC Lens, 27)
and
Aurélien Tchouaméni (AS Monaco, 22)
.
The former carried the Sang et Or on his shoulders throughout the 2021-22 financial year, scoring, among other things, several decisive goals in the final minutes.
The second, for his part, confirmed his very good 2020-21 season, establishing himself as one of the bosses of the Rock club by his state of mind, his impact, his composure and his verticality.
Three other elements obtained votes: the Parisian Marco Verratti, the Marseillais Gerson and the Niçois Khephren Thuram.
On the attacking midfield positions, two players stood out.
They are
Benjamin Bourigeaud (Stade Rennais, 28)
and
Dimitri Payet (OM, 35)
.
A remarkable creator of chances for his partners and a formidable finisher, the Breton was admirable in this exercise.
His statistics speak for him: 11 goals and 13 assists.
The Marseillais also led the Olympian attack to perfection with 12 goals and 10 offerings, reaching at the same time the symbolic bar of 100 assists in Ligue 1, a record.
Lucas Paqueta (OL, 24) is the only other player to have been mentioned in this game sector.
attackers
Let's put an end to the (false) suspense.
Kylian Mbappé (PSG, 23)
, named best player of the season at the UNFP Trophies, was unanimously approved by our editorial staff.
The Frenchman, the only Parisian player present in our standard team, has again achieved an exceptional exercise.
He is both the top scorer of the season (28 goals) and the best passer (17 assists).
He is accompanied at the peak by the surprising
Martin Terrier (Stade Rennais, 25 years old)
who allowed the Rouge et Noir to play the leading roles in Ligue 1 thanks to his efficiency (21 goals).
The Breton was preferred to Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco, 31) who once again had a top-flight season with 25 goals, allowing ASM to make an impressive comeback in the final sprint.
Rennais Gaëtan Laborde also collected a vote.
SEE ALSO -
Madjer, curled shot: Mbappé's 5 best goals with PSG in Ligue 1
