After a Ligue 1 season dominated by Paul Le Guen's all-conquering Lyon side, it will not come as a surprise that the spine of channel4.com's team of the season is lyonnais.

With some outstanding individuals added to the mix from Sochaux, Marseille, Monaco and Auxerre - plus a deadly duo from Rennes in attack - this select Ligue 1 XI would be a match for anyone.

GOALKEEPER:

COUPET
The cornerstone of this Lyon side, Grégory Coupet’s commanding performances gave the French champions the stability they needed. Now the longest-serving player at the club, Coupet has matured into a fine custodian and, at 32, should remain the scourge of Ligue 1 attackers for a few more years.

DEFENCE:

BEYE
Some may not have appreciated Habib Beye accusing his teammates of failing to give one hundred percent, but in view of his outstanding displays this season, his obvious frustration at Marseille’s predicament is understandable. Whether filling in at centre-back, or playing his customary right-back role, the former Strasbourg ace was a tower of strength and has not surprisingly attracted interest from the Premiership.

CRIS
Quite simply a rock throughout his first season in France. The Brazil international has the physical qualities to succeed in Ligue 1, and his aggression, strength in the air and fine tackling have given Lyon a more solid look than ever. Playing alongside Michael Essien or compatriot Claudio Caçapa, Cris looks a class act.

GIVET
While Patrice Evra and Sébastien Squillaci struggled to confirm their status as French internationals, Gaël Givet followed up his emergence in 2003/04 with an equally impressive season. He looks at home at international level, while his never-say-die spirit made him an obvious choice as Monaco skipper during the lengthy absences of Julien Rodriguez.

MATHIEU
He started the season as a midfielder, and may well return to the role next season, but Jérémy Mathieu has shown this year that he is a formidable left-back. Tall and strong, his rangy sorties up the flank and dangerous set pieces made him the shining light in Sochaux’s season. With Lyon and Marseille interested, Mathieu made the surprising choice of signing for Toulouse.

MIDFIELD:

DIARRA
Mahamadou Diarra took his game to a new level in 2004/05. Sitting in front of the Lyon defence, his crunching tackles, superb positional sense and intelligent distribution made the Mali international both Lyon’s first line of defence and first line of attack.

ESSIEN
Asked to play on the right flank for much of his first season at Lyon, Michael Essien excelled in a more central role. His remarkable upper-body strength and sharp turn of pace make him the ideal modern day midfielder and Lyon know they have a fight on their hands to keep him.

JUNINHO
Lyon’s ‘triangle d’or’ complete the Ligue 1’s midfield. A boring choice, perhaps, but they complement each other perfectly. While Juninho Pernambucano works as hard for the team as Essien and Diarra, the Brazil international adds vision to the equation. And of course, those sensational free kicks.

ATTACK:

MONTERRUBIO
Olivier Monterrubio gives this team width, patrolling the left flank and arrowing in dangerous crosses for Alexander Frei. The pair have been devastating together at Rennes this season, Monterrubio providing more assists than any other player, Frei scoring more goals.

KALOU
Though Bonaventure Kalou will have to start on the right flank, the mercurial Ivory Coast star will be granted the freedom to drift infield. Always capable of producing a killer pass or a dangerous dribble, Kalou is one of the most gifted playmakers in Europe. He capped a fine season by scoring the winner in the Coupe de France Final.

FREI
In 2003/04, only Didier Drogba and Djibril Cissé scored more goals than Alexander Frei – though the Swiss forward had a better strike rate. This season Frei has firmly established himself as Ligue 1's undisputable goal king, scoring 20 goals in 36 games. Not especially fast, nor especially skilful, Frei irritates defenders and invariably finds himself right place in the penalty area when the ball arrives.