Kylian Mbappe and Alexandre Lacazette lead KN's Ligue 1 Team of the Season for 2022-23 campaign

Three PSG players played a huge role in their side's success

Ligue 1 is a French association football tournament in France. It was the 85th season since its establishment. PSG won back-to-back league titles. An individual always plays a key role in his side's success. Every season, players try to achieve success with their teams. Some players play exceptionally well and become the top performers in their respective positions on the field. Here are the players who had a truly deserving season and fully deserve their place among the best players in the league and make Khel Now's Ligue 1 Team of the Season for the 2022-23 season:

Formation 4-4-2

GK - Yehvann Diouf

Team: Reims, League appearances: 30 matches, Clean Sheets: 14 matches, Goals Conceded: 28

Since taking over as the club's number-one goalkeeper, 23-year-old Yehvann Diouf has been nothing short of exceptional for Stade de Reims. The French youngster has the highest save percentage of any goalkeeper in the league and the second most clean sheets with 14, despite missing the first seven matches of the campaign.

Yehvann Diouf has conceded 28 goals and kept 14 clean sheets in 30 matches in the Ligue 1 2022–2023 season, competing for the best keeper along with Briced Samba of Lens. In terms of raw goalkeeping, he's saved 98 of the 123 shots faced, meaning his save percentage is 79.67%, which is the highest in the league, keeping the PSG shot-stopper on third with 76.6%, and that too in a mid-table finish team.

RB - Jonathan Clauss

Team: Marseille, League appearances: 33 matches, Goals: 2, Assists: 9, Clean Sheets: 7

French wing-back Jonathan Clauss beats Moroccan superstar Achraf Hakimi to the hotly contested right-back position in the Ligue 1 TOTS. The experienced full-back has been excellent for Marseille this season, having registered nine assists in the league, the joint-most by any defender.

Marseille have kept seven clean sheets in the 33 Ligue 1 2022–2023 matches that Clauss has featured in. But his role has been more than defending this season, as he is playing the role of wide RWB at times, which is making Marseille’s right-wing very threatening. Clauss passes the ball roughly 38.64 times during a game, with a pass completion rate of 76.33%. He also plays 1.84 key passes each game, which leads to significant scoring chances. Not a bad stat when you are a defender in such an attack-explosive league.

CB - Facundo Medina

Team: Lens, League appearances: 32 matches, Goals: 2, Assists: 4, Clean Sheets: 12

The Argentinian has been nothing short of ideal this season. He has been a wall at the back for the French outfit. Lens have conceded 25 goals and kept 12 clean sheets under Facundo Medina's defence. Moreover, he's made 1.04 tackles and 0.73 interceptions for every 90 minutes he's been on the pitch. Medina is also racking up about 1.87 clearances at the same time. Considering he’s just 23 at the moment, his rise has been one of the stories of the great seasons for this club, which has been a surprise for everyone with their astonishing second-place finish.

CB - Marquinhos

Team: Paris Saint-Germain, League appearances: 31 matches, Goals: 2, Clean Sheets: 11

World-class Brazilian defender Marquinhos has once again been the best centre-half in the French league and will no doubt be duly rewarded with a TOTS inclusion. Marquinhos, who was part of the Ligue 1 Team of the Season, helped Paris Saint-Germain keep 11 clean sheets in the 2022–23 campaign. Being PSG’s pillar at the back and making them head towards a Ligue 1 finish again Marquinhos joined the club from Roma in 2013, when he was just 19. He has become an indispensable part of the PSG set-up and has proven to be an important member of the side since they reached the 2020 Champions League final.

LB - Caio Henrique

Team: AS Monaco, League appearances: 34 matches, Goals: 1, Assists: 9, Clean Sheets: 8

There were several strong contenders for the left-back position, with both Nuno Mendes and Nicolas Tagliafico having outstanding seasons, but only one player could come out on top. We're backing Monaco's Caio Henrique, who has been one of the most creative defenders in Ligue 1. However, his nine assists couldn't guarantee his side a place in Europe.

CM - Seko Fofana

Team: Lens, League appearances: 35 matches, Goals: 7, Assists: 5

Lens Captain will no doubt be a popular inclusion among this team, as his special items are usually incredibly overpowered. The box-to-box centre-mid has been arguably Lens' most influential player, helping his team climb to second in the Ligue 1 table. He not only makes important passes but scores them to provide support from the middle.

Born and bred in the throngs of Paris, Seko Fofana left familiar surroundings for a chance to make it with Premier League giants Manchester City. The midfielder had previously trained and impressed in the academies of Paris FC and FC Lorient before joining Udinese, and he is now finally back and firing in his country of birth. He is in contention for Player of the Season, along with names like Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Alexandre Lacazette. This makes more sense with the performance Nice have put out in such a cluster of star-studded teams.

CM – Branco van den Boomen (Toulouse)

Team: Toulouse, League appearances: 34 matches, Goals: 5, Assists: 8

Dutch midfielder Branco van den Boomen will be one of the first names on the Ligue 1 Team of the Season team sheet this year. The 27-year-old has managed to score five goals and provide eight assists from the central midfield position in the league this season. Branco van Den's tally of total G/A (goals + assists) is 13 for this season among the 48 goals scored by the 13th-placed team, which makes his season all the more impressive. His expected assist (xA) is 7.7, the third highest in the league following Messi (14.6) and Remy Cabella (11.7). He produces the most accurate long balls per 90 minutes. Ajax signed him on a free transfer.

RW - Lionel Messi

Team: Paris Saint-Germain, League appearances: 31 matches, Goals: 16, Assists: 16

The other PSG forward to feature is, of course, none other than the 2022 World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi. He led the assists chart with 16 and nabbed 16 goals in Ligue 1. Though he had a few hiccups recently with the club owners and the fans, there’s no denying the fact that he is just becoming more sublime every season. He has created more big chances than any other player in the league while following him. He guided PSG to back-to-back league titles. Last season, he scored six goals and provided 14 assists in 26 Ligue 1 games.

LW– Remy Cabella

Team: Lille, League appearances: 31 matches, Goals: 7, Assists: 10

Remy Cabella, in particular, is finding a new lease on life at the age of 33. Newcastle sold Cabella to Marseille in 2016 after he scored just one goal in 34 appearances for the Magpies. Cabella has created more chances than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues so far this season, with 2.63 opportunities made for his teammates at Lille per 90 minutes, according to Opta. In comparison with De Bruyne, widely regarded as the best midfielder in Europe, the Belgian averages 2.56 every 90 minutes, sitting fifth on the list.

The Frenchman has assisted on 10 goals in 30 matches so far in the Ligue 1 2022–2023 season. Looking into the passing aspect of the game, Cabella passes the ball roughly 55.44 times during a game, with a pass completion rate of 84.97%. He also plays 3.67 key passes each game, which leads to significant scoring chances.

ST – Alexandre Lacazette

Team: Lyon, League appearances: 34 matches, Goals: 27, Assists: 5

One could be forgiven for having doubts when Alexandre Lacazette returned to Lyon at the start of the season. Some players have done well since returning to Ligue 1 after spells abroad. Lacazette scored 17 goals in his last two seasons for Arsenal, a total he eclipsed in his return season. He has been nipping at the heels of Kylian Mbappé in the Ligue 1 scoring charts, even if Lyon’s fortunes have been slower to improve. Lacazette passes the ball roughly 26.93 times during a game, with a pass completion rate of 75.88%. He also plays 1.47 key passes each game, which leads to significant scoring chances.

ST - Kylian Mbappe

Team: PSG, League appearances: 33 matches, Goals: 28, Assists: 5

Arguably the most dangerous forward in world football, Ligue 1's top goalscorer, Kylian Mbappe, is once again a shoo-in for the TOTS this year. Now the France international captain, Mbappe, has netted 28 goals in 32 matches in the league. Oh, and he has five assists too, as he produces the highest shots per minute (4.9). He is again topping most of the attackers' charts in Ligue 1 and has a shot conversion rate of 41%, again the highest among all the players.