Lille let Lyon slip away, Marseille is back in the race for the podium

The break was not long, but it has undoubtedly been good for some teams. For teams fighting for maintenance, the trend is however less positive …

Marseille begins the year with a victory

Everything was not perfect this Wednesday in Marseille: even before the start of the meeting, on the forecourt of a Velodrome stadium behind closed doors, hundreds of supporters gathered to demand the departure of the president, Jacques-Henri Eyraud. But on the ground, the Phocéens did not seem devolved by events: Nemanja Radonjic opened the scoring a few minutes before the break (1-0, 41st). Deprived of Téji Savanier, the Hérault people managed to equalize in the second period, through Florent Mollet (1-1, 52nd).

Back to the wall, the Marseillais then recovered, scoring two goals in quick succession, first with the leg of Dimitri Payet (2-1, 80th) then Valère Germain (3-1, 84th). A victory, which allows André Villas-Boas’ men to keep their fifth place in the standings.

Lille loses big against Angers

The Mastiffs, second behind Olympique Lyonnais before the start of the meeting, had to win this Wednesday against Angers to start 2021 on the right foot. However, it was the Sco who struck first… and even second: Romain Thomas, double scorer tonight (0-1, 5th and 0-2, 10th) allowed Black and White to take a good lead against to Lille residents in particular deprived of Yusuf Yazici.

The Northerners managed to reduce the score before the break, with the help of Burak Yilmaz (1-2, 42nd), but never more. Ultra-domineering in the second period, the locals came up against the solid defense of Stéphane Moulin’s players. With this defeat, the former leaders of the championship let Lyon take the lead… and even see Paris Saint-Germain regain 2nd place, thanks to a better goal difference.

Reims and Dijon leave each other as good friends

The Rémois had the ball, the Rémois had the opportunities, but the Rémois did not win: on their lawn at the Auguste Delaune stadium, the locals could not do better than a 0-0 against the Dijonnais who are gradually emerging from the water after a complicated start to the season.

Pochettino does not insure for his baptism of fire

The Parisians know it: this season, while many teams are claiming first place in the championship, every point taken is important. Mobilized, with a new coach – Mauricio Pochettino – at the head of the team, the players of the Capital were however quickly surprised on the lawn of the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, by a goal from Romain Hamouma (1-0, 19th ).

PSG players quickly recovered, scoring the goal of the equalizer a few minutes later through Moise Kean (1-1, 22nd), well served by Marco Verratti, specially replaced at the post of N.10 for the occasion. And then ? Not much: the two teams neutralized each other and, despite a drastic end of the match, the Parisians were forced to leave two points en route to Saint-Etienne. For the Greens, however, this draw almost looks like a victory, after a complicated start to the season on the Forez side.

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Lyon is scared, but retains its throne

The Lyonnais, deprived of Karl-Toko Ekambi and Bruno Guimarães (affected by the Covid-19), had to start the year on the right foot. The opening of the score of Memphis Depay (1-0, 39th) came to reward the good start of the match of the Rhone. From the first minute of the second half, the Lyonnais doubled the stake with the help of Steven Fortes, the Lensois defender, who came to deceive his own goalkeeper, Jean-Louis Leca (2-0, 46th).

Jean-Louis Leca also distinguished himself six minutes later by causing a penalty, transformed by Memphis Depay (3-0, 52nd). However, the Sang et Or did not crack, and then scored two goals, from Florian Sotoca (3-1, 56th) then Charles Doucoure (3-2, 89th). What to cause fears on the Lyon side, fortunately for them without consequence. Les Gones therefore consolidated their position as leader of the championship, at the same time taking advantage of the poor performances of Paris and Lille to take a little lead.

Monaco bends too crumbly Lorientais

The match did not start in the best way for the Merlus: led from the first minutes by a goal from Axel Disasi (0-1, 9th) despite a good start to the match, the Lorientais managed to equalize thanks to Moffi (1-1, 31st). However, at the start of the second half, Jonathan Delaplace received a red card, making the task more complicated for the locals: Golovin, for his first ball hit of the game, also doubled the bet (1 -2, 64th).

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Andrew Gravillon has certainly managed to reset the counters to zero (2-2, 67th). But Kevin Volland (2-3, 68th) then Sofiane Diop (2-4, 78th) and Guillermo Maripan (2-5, 89th) allowed the Monegasques to leave Brittany with three points… Bodes well for the fight for the ‘Europe.

Brest wins in front of the struggling Niçois

We expected Aiglons reinvigorated by the winter break, after a very complicated start to the season. Reinforced by the arrival of Arsenal defender William Saliba, the Niçois presented themselves with ambitions on the lawn of Brest. But the players of Finistère did not intend to let it go.

Always so friable defensively despite an arrival of weight, the Azuréens conceded the opening of the score by Steve Mounié (1-0, 23rd) before seeing Frank Honorat, the former Nice, double the bet (2-0, 28th) a few minutes later. The score will not change until the end of the match, and Adrian Ursea’s men leave Brittany empty-handed, still stuck in the second half of the table.

Strasbourg is a hit with Nîmes

If Nice has not been successful since the start of the season, what about the Crocos de Nîmes? Red lantern of the championship, the Gard club took to the water this Wednesday evening on the lawn of Meinau, in Strasbourg. Ludovic Ajorque scored the first goal of the game (1-0, 36th), before Habib Diallo doubled the bet on the next action (2-0, 38th). Just before the break, the Alsatians got a penalty, transformed by Kenny Lala (3-0, 45th + 1).

In the second period, the pace did not decrease in intensity: Ludovic Ajorque scored a new goal (4-0, 51st) before missing a penalty a few minutes later. At the very end of the match, Majeed Waris finally scored the goal of the “Manita” for the RCSA … thanks to a new penalty (5-0, 90th). A heavy defeat, which pushes the Occitans a little into the depths of the championship.

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No winner between Metz and Bordeaux

Played in the coolness of the Saint-Symphorien stadium in Metz, this meeting between the Garnets and the Girondins gave birth to a meager 0-0. The Bordelais, deprived of Hatem ben Arfa, never knew how to take the lead despite a total of 12 shots attempted during the meeting. The locals take the opportunity to consolidate their place in the top 10 of Ligue 1.

Poor result for the premiere of Raymond Domenech

This Nantes-Rennes was particularly eagerly awaited: firstly because this derby always has a special flavor for the supporters of both camps, but also because this meeting marked the first for Raymond Domenech on a bench in Ligue 1 since… 1993! But there was no spark during this meeting, also concluded with a score of 0-0. Julien Stéphan’s men, who had chosen to do without Eduardo Camavinga for this match, dominated the meeting (72% possession), but without succeeding in forcing the Canaries’ lock. A result, which does not do the business of visitors, now relegated to three points from the podium.

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