Why Ligue 1 Is World's Most Exciting League

Ligue 1 is once again set for another thrilling finale. With the race for the title and European places, as well as the battle against relegation all still to be decided, the 2012/13 campaign is showcasing just why France's top flight is the most exciting league in the world.

It is a bold statement to make, but it is one that has been supported by a wealth of evidence in the past few seasons. The division was one of the least competitive in Europe in the first decade of the 21st century—Lyon romped to seven consecutive titles between 2001 and 2008—but in recent years the league crown has shifted hands on an annual basis.

Indeed, ever since Bordeaux broke Les Gones' stranglehold on the crown, three more teams have risen to the top of the tree, with Marseille, Lille and last season's winners Montpellier all etching their names into the history books.

La Palliade's triumph over big-spenders Paris Saint-Germain last term was undoubtedly one of the most dramatic stories ever to have taken place in the French football, as they overcame the odds and sealed their first championship with a team of journeymen misfits and promising youngsters.

Montpellier's unlikely victory was coupled with another almighty scrap to avoid relegation which was only settled on the final day. However, the tension of that campaign looks set to be topped this year, with PSG and Lyon separated by just four points at the top of the table and Marseille a further three points back in third place.

Saint-Etienne round off the top four and are a mere nine points behind the Parisians. Only the Dutch Eredivisie can claim to be closer than Ligue 1 at the top—three points separate first and fourth in Holland—but factor in a race for European qualification that encompasses at least five teams and a fight against the drop in which as many as eight sides can be seen as in danger and "Le Championnat" clearly has the edge in terms of pure entertainment.

Ligue 1 may not be as high profile as some of the other European leagues, but there can be no denying that the division produces excitement and bags of goals. To date there have been over 700 goals scored through 28 weeks of the French season, with eight teams scoring 40 goals or more.

High-scoring affairs are a regularity in France—Lorient's 4-4 draw with Ajaccio the most glaring example—and the ability of teams to score at will was encapsulated by Goalkeeper Ali Ahmada's late equaliser for Toulouse against Rennes back in September.

Many would suggest that a glaring defensive weakness which is present in a number of Ligue 1 sides is the sole reason behind the amount of goals that are scored in the league, and it is a theory that does have some credence with Bastia and Troyes both conceding over 50 goals so far.

However, it would be unfair to attribute the prolific nature of the division to just poor defense, there has been a clear increase in the amount of attacking talent on show in France, and the investment of PSG in the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura is a large contributor to the rise of Ligue 1 as a more attractive attacking spectacle.

However, without considerable competition PSG's title challenge would be nothing short of a procession, and it is testament to the academies and scouting systems of the French elite that a multitude of young and promising players have been able to aid the chasing pack in their quest to deny the capital club the title.

Talents such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romain Alessandrini and Dimitri Payet have all garnered praise for their performances this term, and with Geoffrey Kondogbia, Yohan Cabaye and Eden Hazard all going on to make an impact in other countries, there can be no doubt that the French top tier produces players capable of playing at the highest level of the European game.

It is that ability to churn out world-class prospects which ensures that PSG will constantly have a number of challengers to fight off. Carlo Ancleotti's men may take the glory in the end, but as long as Ligue 1 remains a breeding ground for players of international quality, the goals will continue to flow and close finishes at the top and bottom will always be a guarantee in the most exciting league in the world.