After eight rounds of matches, the first international break of the season offers an opportunity to take stock of the athletic performance of Ligue 1 Uber Eats players and clubs. How is season 2022-23 shaping up?

Aboukhlal, Henrique and Gastien on the cards

Zakaria Aboukhlal arrived this summer from AZ Alkmaar and has been in the spotlight with Toulouse FC since the start of the season. Already with two goals and an assist, the Moroccan international is the league's top sprinter. He is the most prolific sprinter in the league, with 28.4 per game - that's one every 2 minutes and 42 seconds!

The second is Neto Borges. Clermont's Brazilian left-back sprints 22.3 times per game, followed closely by LOSC striker Jonathan David (21.8). The Canadian international is the second-most frequent sprinter in terms of volume (174), far behind the undisputed leader Zakaria Aboukhlal, who has 227.

Most sprints:
1. Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse FC): 28.4 per match
2. Neto Borges (Clermont Foot 63): 22.3
3. Jonathan David (LOSC): 21.8
4. Caio Henrique (AS Monaco): 21.7
5. Franck Honorat (Stade Brestois 29): 21.6
6. Paul Joly (AJ Auxerre): 21.2
7. Adrien Truffert (Stade Rennais FC): 21.0
8. Karl Toko-Ekambi (Olympique Lyonnais): 20.8
9. Quentin Merlin (FC Nantes): 20.5
10. Jonathan Bamba (LOSC): 20.4
(Three-match minimum)

In terms of high-intensity kilometres, Zakaria Aboukhlal is on the third step of the podium (1.36 kilometres per match). The number 1 is none other than Monaco's Caio Henrique (1.44), while Lille's Jonathan Bamba (1.38) comes in between the Brazilian and the Toulouse player.

Average distance run at high intensity:
1. Caio Henrique (AS Monaco): 1.44 kilometres per match
2. Jonathan Bamba (LOSC): 1.38
3. Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse FC): 1.36
4. Jonathan David (LOSC): 1.35
5. Dango Ouattara (FC Lorient): 1.32
6. Neto Borges (Clermont Foot 63): 1.32
7. Benjamin Bourigeaud (Stade Rennais FC): 1.28
8. Adrien Truffert (Stade Rennais FC): 1.28
9. Quentin Merlin (FC Nantes): 1.27
10. Malo Gusto (Olympique Lyonnais): 1.23

What about the marathon runners in the league? Central midfielders, almost all of them defensive players. The nine players who run the most play in this position. The leader? Johan Gastien from Clermont-Ferrand and his 12.2 kilometres per game. He finished at the top of this category at the end of last season and he should be breaking the 100-kilometre barrier in his next match, as he has now reached 97.8 kilometres in total. Second is Marshall Munetsi from Reims (12.0 kilometres on average), just ahead of Salis Abdul Samed (also 12.0, but 95.8 in total, compared to Munetsi's 96.2).

The players who run the most:
1. Johan Gastien (Clermont Foot 63): 12.2 kilometres per match
2. Marshall Munetsi (Stade de Reims): 12.0
3. Salis Abdul Samed (RC Lens): 12.0
4. Rominigue Kouamé (ESTAC Troyes): 11.8
5. Haris Belkebla (Stade Brestois 29): 11.7
6. Nabil Bentaleb (Angers SCO): 11.5
7. Laurent Abergel (FC Lorient): 11.5
8. Enzo Le Fée (FC Lorient): 11.3
9. Birama Touré (AJ Auxerre): 11.2
10. Jonathan David (LOSC): 11.2

Rennes-Montpellier: the big difference

Although Stade Rennais' results at the start of the season have been mixed, the Brittany club has dominated the competition in terms of athleticism over the first eight rounds. Bruno Génésio's players have topped all three statistical categories: distance covered, sprints and kilometres run at high intensity.

Stade Rennais have run more than 955 kilometres since the start of the season (119.4 per match). RC Strasbourg Alsace follow with 927.9 kilometres, followed by AC Ajaccio (only 100 metres less!). Montpellier Hérault SC, on the other hand, came in last with a total of 844.2 kilometres (105.5 per match). The second-lowest running team is PSG (868.9 in total, or 108.6 per match). MHSC and PSG are the only two clubs with less than 110 kilometres per match.

Team distance run:
1. Stade Rennais FC: 119.4 kilometres
2. RC Strasbourg Alsace: 116.0
3. AC Ajaccio: 116.0
4. FC Lorient: 115.2
5. LOSC: 114.7
6. Olympique de Marseille: 114.6
7. Angers SCO: 114.5
8. Toulouse FC: 114.4
9. RC Lens: 113.6
10. Stade de Reims: 113.5
11. Olympique Lyonnais: 113.5
12. ESTAC Troyes: 112.9
13. Clermont Foot 63: 112.6
14. AJ Auxerre: 111.4
15. OGC Nice: 111.3
16. Stade Brestois 29: 111.1
17. AS Monaco: 110.6
18. FC Nantes: 110.2
19. Paris Saint-Germain: 108.6
20. Montpellier HSC: 105.5

Rennes are also the team whose players sprint the most, with 1280 high-speed runs (160.0 per match on average). Just behind them are Toulouse (1275) and RC Lens (1273). Three clubs are below 1000 sprints: Clermont (977), Nice (973) and Montpellier (955).

Sprints performed:
1. Stade Rennais FC: 160.0
2. Toulouse FC: 159.4
3. RC Lens: 159.1
4. AS Monaco: 153.0
5. FC Nantes: 146.8
6. LOSC: 146.3
7. Stade de Reims: 141.5
8. Paris Saint-Germain: 140.6
9. Olympique Lyonnais: 138.9
10. AC Ajaccio: 136.6
11. Olympique de Marseille: 134.1
12. RC Strasbourg Alsace: 132.1
13. Angers SCO: 132.0
14. AJ Auxerre: 130.6
15. Stade Brestois 29: 129.3
16. ESTAC Troyes: 126.5
17. FC Lorient: 125.9
18. Clermont Foot 63: 122.1
19. OGC Nice: 121.6
20. Montpellier HSC: 119.4

Now what about the kilometres covered at high intensity? The two leading teams are the same as for the sprints, in the same order: Rennes has 91.1 kilometres (11.4 per match) and Toulouse, 2nd, 85.6 (10.7 per match). LOSC are in third place, while Montpellier came last (64.8 kilometres).

Distance covered at high intensity:
1. Stade Rennais FC: 11.4 kilometres
2. Toulouse FC: 10.7
3. LOSC: 10.5
4. RC Lens: 10.4
5. Stade de Reims: 10.3
6. FC Nantes: 10.3
7. AS Monaco: 10.2
8. Olympique Lyonnais: 9.9
9. Olympique de Marseille: 9.9
10. Paris Saint-Germain: 9.9
11. AC Ajaccio: 9.8
12. Angers SCO: 9.8
13. RC Strasbourg Alsace: 9.5
14. Clermont Foot 63: 9.3
15. ESTAC Troyes: 9.2
16. Stade Brestois 29: 9.2
17. AJ Auxerre: 9.1
18. FC Lorient: 9.0
19. OGC Nice: 8.9
20. Montpellier HSC: 8.1