That the PSG was not good, it is a matter understood. Now is it because they haven’t been good overall since the start of the season? Because they lost Di Maria, Verratti and Neymar in two meetings? Because they tiptoed three days before the game in Barcelona? I think there is a bit of all of that. Still, this Parisian match did not thrill me, between a first half rather controlled and marked by the opening of the score of Draxler who resumed a shot from Icardi on the post following a good cross from Kehrer – everything happens – and a pathetic second act where the Niçois showed a face that I have rarely seen them this season.
Ursea’s men would have even deserved to lead in the score after having equalized with a shot under the bar of Lopes on a huge error by Marquinhos which does so little that we can hope that he will have fired his cartridge for the season . Gouiri found the bar on a strike from the left, Paris was tossed around and no longer existed in the middle. And it took a very nice action from the Parisian attack line, with a good cross from Mbappé, an intelligent and acrobatic handover from Icardi for the head of Kean, for Paris to win and take three important points in a season when the title is still far from being acquired – even in danger.
At 7 p.m., Reims welcomed Lens and it is a miracle that the Champenois did not lose this match by three goals apart as the level difference was abysmal, between a northerner training which plays, which engages, which attack and a Reims team that produces a kind of porous concrete, that is to say no ambition in the game but little intensity on the defensive level. Guion’s players, however, opened the scoring on a careless fault of the Lens defense, Zeneli heading a cross from Dia repelled by Leca.
From there, the Sang et Or have copiously dominated under the impetus of a Fofana whose volume of play is quite breathtaking. Kakuta sent a penalty into the clouds before Sotoca equalized with a very good action and a cross behind Clauss. Behind, the opportunities multiplied, with a goal refused for offside after three minutes of watching the video, while it was obvious at the time … Which was also – and in my opinion a real scandal – it is the penalty ignored by Mr. Wattellier for a charge of Rajkovic on Fofana while the Reims goalkeeper never touches the ball. Our friends the Pinocchios of the VAR did not flinch and Mr. Wattellier, with a half-sorry, half-contemptuous air, whistled the end of the match in stride, distorting the final result. The referees no longer referee, it’s the guys in the bus who do it and it becomes unbearable.
When Memphis is not good …
And then in the evening, we attended a good Lyon-Montpellier. So with this pretty crazy stat: OL have lost three games this season, including two against La Paillade. As much as the first leg at La Mosson was far-fetched, this success at Groupama Stadium is more convincing for Der Zakarian’s team, who nevertheless attacked the match with five offensive players and a good tactical move to put Mavididi on Dubois and Laborde on Cornet. Cutting the wings of the Lyonnais kept them from developing their game, as did Memphis’ failed game on his birthday. I have been defending this thesis for weeks: it is Memphis who “makes” OL on the offensive side. And when he’s not well, Kadewere and Toko-Ekambi clearly drop in level.
The Montpellier opened the scoring on a nice header from Savanier on receiving a cross from outside Delort, Lyon replied just before the break by Paqueta, who took over a header from Aouar pushed back by Omlin. When you get caught up in the score at that point in the match, you usually tell yourself that the second half is going to be more complicated. Except that the Lyonnais lacked creativity in the middle. Paqueta then Guimaraes and Aouar were not performing well and the trio in front was not having a good day. And on a free kick from Hérault, Lopes incomprehensibly repulsed Savanier’s off-target strike on Dubois then on Wahi, who only had to push the ball to the bottom to score his third goal of the season.
It is a terrible setback for OL in the title race, since Paris returns to the front, that Lille could fly away in the event of victory against Brest and that Monaco could come back to a point in the event of success against in Lorient. It is obvious that this championship will be played largely on the many direct confrontations between the four contenders but also on the points that the quartet will leave in the course, as the PSG did in Lorient. This weekend, the first to fault is Lyon.
Pierrot
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