Ligue 1: 2012/13 Team of the Season

Midfielders

Blaise Matuidi (PSG) - One of the best players at PSG this season, and arguably the most important at the side, after Sirigu and Ibrahimovic.

A fantastic midfielder who highlighted his goalscoring and creative abilities on many an occasion this season.

Florian Thauvin (Bastia, Lille) – Another revelation this term. The 20-year-old was officially named the Young Player of the Year and was the subject of a €3.5m bid from Lille, who immediately loaned him back to the Corsican club.

A fine youngster, whose creativity and attacking instinct saw Bastia pummel mid-table sides and score some surprising results. He linked well with Anthony Modeste, and even went on a run of four games in a row scoring braces.

Mathieu Valbuena (OM) – Valbuena’s performances are generally linked with OM’s successes, and it’s no surprise that once ‘Le Petit Velo’ is firing on all cylinders, the team is generally flying high.

A tricky customer, who was the team’s driving force for most of the season, Valbuena posted a league high 12 assists this campaign. He complemented his club form by becoming France’s most important player in 2012-13.

Dimitri Payet (Lille) – The Reunion-born winger starred for Lille with a number of impressive displays, which unfortunately, were not enough for the club to qualify for Europe this campaign.

Notched up a fine tally of 12 goals and 12 assists – one of the few players in Europe to hit double figures in both respects.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: top-scorer in Ligue 1 in 2012-13

Forwards

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) – Who else? The driving force behind PSG’s championship victory. Got going from the off in a controversial 2-2 draw against Lorient on matchday one. His goals alone were worth 14 points for PSG, who would’ve lost the title without his input.

At times, he endured difficult moments, but Ibra has been rightly regarded as a revelation since his move from Milan.

Pierre Aubameyang (Saint-Etienne) – Holds off the challenge from Dario Cvitanich of Nice, the signing of the season, to feature in the Team of the Year. This season has been the campaign Aubameyang yearned for, the one where his star really takes off.

19 goals, second only to Ibrahimovic, the lanky Gabonese striker was in red-hot form, especially in the second half of the season to propel ASSE to a League Cup triumph.

He will probably leave Ligue 1 for Dortmund, but it has been one hell of a year for the striker.