Review: The 10 Biggest Surprises of the 2024/25 Season

1. Ousmane Dembélé wins the Golden Boot

Even though it went down to the wire, Ousmane Dembélé clinched his first Ligue 1 McDonald’s top scorer title.

A goal machine, "Dembouz"? Who would’ve thought? Seeing Dembélé succeed Kylian Mbappé as Ligue 1’s top marksman wasn’t exactly the likeliest scenario when the season kicked off in August 2024. A player of immense talent, the former Rennes winger was known more for his dazzling dribbles—and erratic finishing—than his goalscoring prowess. But that changed after Luis Enrique began experimenting with him as a false 9 in December.

This 2024/25 season became a milestone for the PSG No.10, who had only scored three goals in the top flight last term. Until now, his standout campaign remained his breakout year at Rennes (12 goals in 2015/16). At 27, Dembélé has rediscovered that level of efficiency—scoring a goal every 4.4 shots, almost identical to his 2015/16 rate (1 every 4.7 shots).

2. A Danish striker breaks records in Monaco

Signed from Sturm Graz in early January, Mika Biereth was brought in to shake things up in attack—and he certainly did.

There was no adjustment period needed. During a March derby win (2–1), Biereth became the first player to score 12 goals in his first 10 Ligue 1 McDonald’s appearances, including three hat-tricks in five games! He even became the first player since Thadée Cisowski in 1956 to net at least three goals in three consecutive home matches in the French top flight.

The Monaco No.14 finished the season with 13 goals in just 16 games—placing him 10th in the scoring charts and top scorer for ASM.

3. Morgan Sanson ends PSG’s home unbeaten run

After seven months out with a double ankle fracture, Morgan Sanson made his comeback on 4 April against Nantes. Just three weeks later, in his first start under Franck Haise and first in 11 months, the 30-year-old midfielder stunned PSG at the Parc des Princes with a brace in a 3–1 win for Nice.

That double brought PSG’s long home unbeaten run to an end, just two matches shy of FC Nantes’ all-time record of 32.

“I know it sounds crazy,” said Sanson, “but I actually imagined scoring a brace before the match. I even thought about how I’d celebrate if I scored once, and then twice—even though I’d only scored one double in my whole career.” The following week, he found the net again—just once this time—against Reims.

4. Amine Gouiri becomes a Vélodrome idol

Just a few months ago, Amine Gouiri was Rennes’ No.10. Fast forward to the end of the season, and he’s Marseille’s No.9—and one of the club’s most loved players.

Gouiri rekindled the form that once made him one of Ligue 1’s brightest attacking hopes, with numbers close to his 2021/22 campaign (15 goals, Rennes). This season, he scored a goal every 5.7 shots and delivered both assists and show-stopping goals. Among them: a hat-trick that included a bicycle kick against Brest, and a rocket into the top corner versus Saint-Étienne.

Now the most prolific winter signing in OM history, Gouiri netted a crucial brace in Le Havre on the final day to secure 2nd place.

5. Désiré Doué becomes a PSG starter and France international

At just shy of 20 years old, Désiré Doué has had a breakout season—winning the Ligue 1 McDonald’s and Champions League Young Player of the Season awards.

The Rennes academy graduate took time to settle at PSG and was often compared to Neymar Jr. But by December, he had earned his place in Luis Enrique’s side. He thrived in both Ligue 1 (6 goals, 6 assists) and the Champions League (5 goals, 5 assists).

His reward? A first senior call-up to the France national team in March, followed by a silverware-filled spring with PSG.

6. Strasbourg jump six places

Despite two defeats at the end, the 2024/25 season was a resounding success for RC Strasbourg’s young side.

From 13th last year to 7th this time around, the Alsace club made a major leap—led by Ligue 1’s youngest average starting XI and a relatively unknown coach who arrived just days before the season began.

Strasbourg recorded six more wins than last season, scoring 18 more goals and earning 23 additional points. The club is back in Europe for the first time since 1995.

Stat: On 16 March vs. Toulouse, Strasbourg fielded the youngest starting XI in Ligue 1 over the past 75 years, with an average age of 21 years and 120 days.

7. Rayan Cherki finally fulfils his potential

His fifth full season in Ligue 1 McDonald’s was the one that clicked.

Lyon’s Rayan Cherki delivered his most complete campaign to date. Top of the charts for both assists and dribbles, the 21-year-old was rewarded with a call-up by Didier Deschamps for the UEFA Nations League squad.

It wasn’t smooth sailing—Cherki was benched early in the season. But he returned stronger, producing 8 goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1. In Europe, he was named in the Europa League Team of the Season, earned the Best Young Player award, and finished as top assist provider (8) in the competition.

8. LOSC break into the Top 5 without Zhegrova

Bruno Genesio worked near-miracles in Lille this season, leading LOSC into Ligue 1’s Top 5 and the UEFA Top 16, despite the absence of key players.

Star winger Edon Zhegrova managed just 12 league games, missing the entire second half of the campaign. He was joined on the sidelines by Tiago Santos (7 games) and Angel Gomes (14), both pivotal figures in Lille’s recent successes.

Yet Genesio steered the club to Europe once more, relying on depth, youth, and tactical flexibility.

9. Didier Digard stays the course at Le Havre

After Matchday 8, Le Havre never climbed higher than 14th—save for brief moments in Matchdays 12 and 28. Yet the club showed rare patience, keeping faith with Didier Digard all season.

Arriving last summer, Digard managed to pull off a last-gasp survival miracle. A stoppage-time Panenka from Abdoulaye Touré on the final day in Strasbourg secured safety for the league’s oldest club.

10. Midfielders finish as top scorers at three clubs

In a season where strikers sometimes faltered, midfielders stepped up.

At Lens, Neil El Aynaoui scored a brace in the final-day win over Monaco (4–0), finishing the season as RCL’s top scorer with 8 goals—a remarkable rise from just one last year.

At Auxerre, Gaëtan Perrin shared top spot with Hamed Traoré on 10 goals. And at Le Havre, Abdoulaye Touré also hit double digits—eight of his goals came from the penalty spot, but they still counted.