Ligue 1 midway roundup: Mbappe steals show while Lyon plummet

At the midway point in Ligue 1, with a 20-day break before the second half of the campaign gets underway next year, we take a look back at some of the standout performers to have made more than ten appearances this season so far.

Best player: Kylian Mbappe (PSG) - 8.07 rating

He may have missed a month of the campaign through injury but there is little doubt that Mbappe has been a star turn in Ligue 1 yet again. The 20-year-old has started just nine of 12 league appearances but had a direct hand in 15 goals, scoring 11 and assisting four. With a further five goals and three assists in just 330 minutes of Champions League action, the Frenchman is directly contributing to a goal every 50 minutes.

Best signing: Idrissa Gueye (PSG) - 7.59 rating

Like Mbappe, Gueye has missed a decent portion of the season through injury, with the champions losing two of six league matches in which the midfielder was absent. The former Everton and Aston Villa man made his name in France with Lille and has returned as one of the division's star performers. Gueye's WhoScored.com rating is enough to rank fifth having averaged 4.1 tackles per 90 minutes and completed 92.8 per cent of his passes.

Best newcomer: Gautier Larsonneur (Brest) - 7.29 rating

There were a number of candidates for this category, with Dijon's Mounir Chouiar and Rennes teenager Eduardo Camavinga standing out, but Larsonneur has been a regular in our Ligue 1 team of the week series. The 22-year-old shot stopper has made the step up to top-flight football with consummate ease, producing at least 12 more saves (76) than any other keeper in the division, whilst keeping six clean sheets. He is not only the highest rated goalkeeper in Ligue 1 but across all of Europe's top five leagues.

Surprise package: Reims

While Reims secured an impressive eighth placed finish last season owing much to their defensive resolve, David Guion's side continue to exceed expectations. Their recent 1-0 win over Toulouse ensured the club became the first in Europe's top five leagues to ten clean sheets, all kept by summer signing Predrag Rajkovic, having conceded just ten goals all season. They're far from the most entertaining team in France but Reims' organisation could yet give them an unlikely shot at European qualification.

 

Underachiever: Lyon

It's been a season of real highs and lows already for Lyon, who began the campaign under new management in Sylvinho with two wins at a plus nine goal difference. A run of seven league matches without a win saw the Brazilian swiftly replaced by an unpopular choice amongst the fans in Rudi Garcia - the former boss of rivals Marseille.

Despite objection from the fans, boiling over into disputes with some of the players, OL booked a last gasp place in the Champions League knockout phase courtesy of star man Memphis Depay, only for the Dutchman and summer signing Jeff Reine-Adelaide to both suffer season ending ACL injuries in defeat to Rennes in the following game. With the club closer to the relegation zone than automatic Champions League qualification, it promises to be a campaign to forget.