Ligue 1 Round Up: Six Point Gap Opens Up At The Top
An unlikely hero helps PSG open up a six-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 as Monaco lose while Nice continue to struggle and Marseille are involved in another six-goal thriller.
All that and more can be found in this weekend Ligue 1 round up.
Friday
Lyon 3-2 Monaco
Monaco lost ground on PSG after a late winner from Lyon in the first game of the weekend in Ligue 1.
The opening 35 minutes were lively with four goals scored. Mariano Diaz continued his fine start to life with OL when he stabbed home a cross at the far post with 11 minutes played. However, the visitors equalised when Keita Balde Diao played Rony Lopes through to slot home just six minutes later.
A further six minutes were played before Lyon were back ahead. Full-back Ferland Mendy broke forward and found captain Nabil Fekir in the box, with the attacker side-footing past Danijel Subasic despite pressure from Monaco defenders.
Leonardo Jardim’s side were level with 34 minutes on the clock when Adama Traore struck a superb shot into the top corner from the edge of the area. It would stay 2-2 until second-half injury time.
With 48 seconds more than the four minutes injury time played Fekir stepped up to take a free-kick and fired it low into the corner to give the home team a late, late win which sees them climb to fifth.
Monaco stay second but as we are about to find out, another late winner in Saturday’s first game sees them fall six points behind the league leaders.
Saturday
Dijon 1-2 PSG
An unlikely hero won PSG – who were missing Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva – three points away at Dijon.
Kylian Mbappe was thwarted on a number of occasions and Marquinhos struck the bar in the second half but full-back Thomas Meunier found the net in the 78th minute when he tucked away a rebound.
Dijon fought back and thought they’d snatched a point with three minutes left through Benjamin Jeannot. The striker hit a superb looping 30-yard volley and would have seen Dijon hold the leaders, but it was not to be.
Meunier stepped up again for Unai Emery’s side, tapping home an Mbappe cross with 92 minutes on the clock to give the visitors all three points and open a six-point lead at the top.
Defeat for Dijon means they drop to 18th.
Caen 0-2 Angers
A third goal in as many games from Karl Toko Ekambi helped Angers to pick up just their second win of the season against Caen.
Toko Ekambi’s work ethic and power were evident when he opened the scoring just after half-time, chasing down a long ball and out-muscling a defender before slamming the ball into the net.
The striker then set up Angers second, springing a counter-attack and running from inside his own half, the Cameroonian set up Angelo Fulgini to tuck home and secure the win for the visitors.
Angers climb to 10th while Caen drop to eighth.
Guingamp 2-0 Rennes
Rennes continue to struggle as they suffer another defeat, this time at the hands of Guingamp.
The visitors had the best of the first-half chances but when Rennes hit the bar in the 56th minute Guingamp countered. Marcus Thuram hit the bar and Moustapha Diallo bundled home the rebound for a 1-0 lead.
Jimmy Briand secured the win with a minute of normal time left, controlling a cross on the edge of the six-yard box, turning sharply and firing into the net.
Rennes stay 15th despite defeat and Guingamp climb to ninth.
Lille 2-2 Troyes
A late goal from visiting Troyes broke Lille hearts, denying them a much-needed win.
Stephane Darbion lost his marker at the far post to turn home a cross in the third minute to give the away side the lead, but it didn’t last long as Luiz Araujo scored a similar goal to equalise for Lille.
Thiago Mendes curled in a low shot from the edge of the box to give Marcelo Bielsa’s men a 2-1 lead with 78 minutes played but they could not hold on for the win.
Edgar Ie fouled Adama Niane inside the box and received a red card, with the Troyes man dusting himself down to convert from the spot with 93 minutes on the clock.
The point does see Lille climb to 16th but while Troyes drop to 12th because of other results.
Saint-Etienne 3-1 Metz
Another defeat for Metz, this time away at Saint-Etienne, means they stay rooted to the bottom of the table.
The visitors did take the lead in this one when defender Fallou Diagne headed home from a corner with just 21 minutes played.
It stayed 1-0 until the 74th minute when Saint-Etienne started their late rally. A scramble from a corner saw Metz keep out numerous shots before Vincent Pajot finally scored. Another corner in the 85th minute led to the home team taking the lead but not through one of their own as Metz’s Miguel Cafu headed into his own net.
Habib Maiga secured the win for Saint-Etienne, slotting home after a well-worked move on the edge of the area as Les Verts climb to third.
Toulouse 1-0 Amiens
These two struggling sides could only be separated by a single goal, and thankfully for Toulouse, it was they who got it.
After a long spell of possession in the 40th minute, Alexis Blin whipped a dangerous cross into the penalty area with Andy Delort turning the ball home from close range.
The home side had further opportunities after the interval but could not find a second. Amiens had Prince-Desir Gouano sent off with seconds remaining as he hauled down Yaya Sanogo when through on goal.
Toulouse’s victory means they climb to 13th while Amiens are 17th – outside the relegation thanks to the virtue of a one better goal difference.
Sunday
Bordeaux 1-1 Nantes
Two of the team’s battle at the right end of the table could not be separated in the first of three games on Sunday.
Prejuce Nakoulma gave Claudio Ranieri’s side the lead as he stabbed home from a rebounded shot in first half injury time.
Bordeaux were level just after the interval thanks to Malcolm. The Brazilian used his pace to break into the box on the right before firing a well-placed shot into the far corner.
Because of results elsewhere, the draw means both sides drop down the table with Bordeaux seventh and Nantes fifth.
Montpellier 2-0 Nice
Nice continue to drop down the table as they suffered defeat away at Montpellier.
It took until the 55th minute for the scoring to be opened but Stephane Sessegnon’s strike was well worth the wait. The former Sunderland man picked up the ball 25-yards from goal and found himself space to strike a powerful shot into the net.
Isaac Mbenza doubled the lead when his curling effort rounded off a quick counter-attack with just 15 minutes left.
Defeat for Nice sees them drop to 14th while Montpellier move above them into 11th.
Strasbourg 3-3 Marseille
A thriller between two sides at opposite ends of the table completed an entertaining weekend in Ligue 1.
With six minutes played a free-flowing Marseille attack was finished off by Dimitri side-footed finish and it would take 25 minutes for the home side to fight back.
Strasbourg battled to keep possession in the final third and their persistence was rewarded as Jean Eudes Aholou deflected strike drew them level.
The away side were back in front three minutes into the second half through Morgan Sanson. The midfielder’s cross evaded everyone inside the box and sailed into the far corner.
Bakary Kone led by example to get Strasbourg on level terms just after the hour as the skipper headed past Steve Mandanda from a corner.
The home team then took the lead with 15 minutes left through Dimitri Lienard’s fizzing long range strike but, Greek striker Konstantinos Mitroglou – despite appeals for offside – tapped home an equaliser for OM with two minutes left on the clock after Jordan Amavi’s long range shot was saved.
Marseille drop to fourth while Strasbourg climb to 18th.
