Match of fear at the bottom of the standings between Brest and Nîmes, imperative victory for Paris without Neymar and fifth place in the sights during Montpellier-Marseille: the 32nd day of Ligue 1, this weekend, is full of challenges for all table levels.
– The duel … of the poorly classified: Brest-Nîmes –
If the top of the ranking is historically tight, the depths are no less hooked.
Brest, 16th with 35 points, against Nîmes, 18th with 29 units, it is a poster of all the dangers, Sunday (3:00 p.m.) while there will then be only six days left to save his skin.
In the midst of a tumble – they are 19th in a simulated ranking counting only the matches of 2021 – the Brestois are looking for air before the final sprint.
Montpellier players congratulated by their coach Michel Der Zakarian (r) after scoring a goal in the match against Nîmes at the Stade des Costières in Nîmes, southern France on March 14, 2021
– AFP
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“We are not in a good spiral, we have also lost confidence a little. We will have to get down to the mental level to fight against teams like Nîmes. We have no choice,” said coach Olivier Dall’Oglio.
For the Nîmes Crocodiles, the place of play-off remains fragile because Nantes follows them to a length before going to challenge Rennes in the Breton derby on Sunday (1:00 p.m.).
And just above, Bordeaux (36 pts), Strasbourg (36 pts), Saint-Etienne (36 pts) and Lorient (32 pts) are not yet out of the woods …
– Absent: Neymar –
The days go by and look the same for Paris SG in Ligue 1.
Deprived of Neymar for nearly two months due to injury, the Parisians must now do without their Brazilian playmaker for two more games, due to suspension.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian striker Neymar on the sidelines during a Champions League match, at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, November 26, 2019
GABRIEL BOUYS – AFP/Archives
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Hardly returned as holder, last Sunday against Lille (1-0 defeat), “Ney” was excluded for two bad gestures, on Benjamin André then Tiago Djalo. And the Disciplinary Commission inflicted on him two firm matches of suspension (plus a suspended one), in Strasbourg on Saturday (5 p.m.), then against Saint-Etienne on April 18.
Not the biggest posters, but not the least important: PSG, second (63 pts), is left behind by the Lille leader (69 pts) and is only one point ahead of Monaco and two over Lyon.
The Monegasques have an affordable match against the red lantern Dijon Sunday (5:05 p.m.) which could almost condemn the DFCO to Ligue 2, while Lyon, which remains on three games without a win, faces Angers at the end of Sunday (9:00 p.m.).
Victory is therefore imperative for Paris, even if this meeting takes place between the two Champions League duels against Bayern Munich, the first having given birth to a resounding Parisian victory on Wednesday in Germany (3-2).
– The number: 9 matches without losing –
The fight for fifth place, synonymous at worst with qualifying for UEFA’s new European competition, the Europa League Conference, and at best with a ticket to the Europa League, rages on.
In this game, Montpellier displays exceptional consistency, with nine games in a row without the slightest defeat in the Championship, to which we must even add three successes in the Coupe de France.
Montpellier players congratulated by their coach Michel Der Zakarian (r) after scoring a goal in the match against Nîmes at the Stade des Costières in Nîmes, southern France on March 14, 2021
Pascal GUYOT – AFP/Archives
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The reception of Marseille on Saturday (9:00 p.m.) should allow the formation of Michel Der Zakarian, 8th with 45 points, to rub shoulders with one of the favorites for 5th place, OM, 6th with 48 units. And for “Der Zak”, this poster could help speed up negotiations on his future at the head of the MHSC, while he mentioned a meeting with its president Laurent Nicollin on this subject.
The men of Jorge Sampaoli, recent winners of Dijon, want to continue to garner with in their sights Lens, 5th (49 pts). The Blood and Gold, again diminished by several cases of Covid-19, welcome Lorient on Sunday (3 p.m.).
Program for the 32nd day of Ligue 1:
Friday:
(9:00 p.m.) Metz – Lille
Saturday:
(17h00) Strasbourg – Paris SG
(9 p.m.) Montpellier – Marseille
Sunday:
(1:00 p.m.) Rennes – Nantes
(15h00) Lens – Lorient
Nice – Reims
Saint-Etienne – Bordeaux
Brest – Nîmes
(5:05 p.m.) Monaco – Dijon
(9 p.m.) Lyon – Angers
Ranking: Pts JGNP bp bc dif
Lille 66 31 19 9 3 51 19 32
2. Paris SG 63 31 20 3 8 67 22 45
3. Monaco 62 31 19 5 7 64 38 26
4. Lyon 61 31 17 10 4 60 31 29
5. Lens 49 31 13 10 8 47 43 4
6. Marseille 48 31 13 9 9 40 36 4
7. Rennes 45 31 12 9 10 39 35 4
8. Montpellier 45 31 12 9 10 49 50 -1
9. Metz 42 31 11 9 11 36 36 0
10. Nice 42 31 12 6 13 41 42 -1
11. Angers 41 31 11 8 12 34 44 -10
12. Reims 39 31 9 12 10 38 38 0
13. Strasbourg 36 31 10 6 15 40 46 -6
14. Bordeaux 36 31 10 6 15 34 41 -7
15. Saint-Etienne 36 31 9 9 13 32 46 -14
16. Brest 35 31 10 5 16 43 54 -11
17. Lorient 32 31 8 8 15 37 54 -17
18. Nîmes 29 31 8 5 18 30 58 -28
19. Nantes 28 31 5 13 13 32 48 -16
20. Dijon 15 31 2 9 20 20 53 -33
By Antoine MAIGNAN / Paris (AFP) / © 2021 AFP
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