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RC Strasbourg Alsace are enjoying a brilliant season in Ligue 1. Mid-way through the campaign, they are only four points short (38) of what they collected in 38 games last season (42).
Julien Stephan's men have been in a different form altogether as they push for a Champions League spot.
Paris Saint-Germain undoubtedly hold one of those top three places with Marseille and OGC Nice contesting the other two slots. The third-placed team, however, have to play the qualifiers to make it to the group stages.
Strasbourg are currently fourth and closing in on that third spot.
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Goalscoring finesse
Strasbourg boast the second-highest goal tally in the division, only six behind Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Ludovic Ajorque has been in tremendous form, scoring 10 goals already this season. Apart from his goals, he has created seven assists in 21 league games so far.
The club have witnessed a high contribution of goals and assists from their midfielders as well which has inevitably helped them to improve their scoring tally.
Adrien Thomasson in particular has been a key cog in Le Racing's attack. The French midfielder has scored seven goals so far.
Return of Habib Diallo for Strasbourg
The pairing of Habib Diallo and Ajorque has been one of the highlights of Ligue 1 this season. The pair have scored as many as 21 goals between them.
The club have missed the Senegalese striker's services in recent weeks due to their commitments in the Africa Cup of Nations. With Senegal winning the competition, Le Racing will hope for the return of a rejuvenated Diallo for the rest of the season.
In his absence, however, former Valencia star Kevin Gameiro stood up brilliantly, netting eight goals and an assist in just two months.
Impeccable run
Given the club's resources, they have undoubtedly over-achieved so far.
Strasbourg have been on a stunning run of form having picked up four wins from their last five league outings. Their only defeat in this period came against Bordeaux, who won the 4-3 thriller.
Despite losing all their games to the top-three teams, the club has ensured that they compensate for it with wins against lower-ranked opponents. Apart from one defeat against RC Lens, the rest of their defeats came against the current top-three.
This reflects the pragmatism of the club's ability to move up the table and secure an unexpected European qualification. They are definitely in the race for the Champions League spots.
