Lille Canadian midfielder Jonathan David (l), who scored twice in the Ligue 1 home game against Marseille, March 3, 2021 (AFP / DENIS CHARLET)
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Lille retained their first place in Ligue 1 in extremis by beating OM on the gong (2-0) on Wednesday, imitating Paris SG and Lyon who had a 1-0 success against Bordeaux and Rennes.
The LOSC, strong head! The Mastiffs knocked out Marseille in the dying seconds of the match with a brace from Jonathan David (90th and 90th + 3) who keeps the Parisians at two points and the Lyonnais at three units.
“It’s football, it’s cruel,” lamented Marseille captain and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda on Canal Plus, lucid in his observation: “In front, things are going way too fast for us”.
At the end of the 28th day, the suspense indeed remains intact at the top of a Ligue 1 uncertain as rarely.
The Parisians, without their top scorers Neymar (recovery), Kylian Mbappé (suspended) and Moise Kean (Covid-19), provided the minimum service with a goal from Pablo Sarabia registered in the 20th minute. Enough to calmly approach the eighth-final second leg of the Champions League against FC Barcelona, in a week.
In the race for the title, Olympique Lyonnais did not give up either. However, his home victory against Stade Rennes was more difficult.
Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, celebrated by his teammate Memphis Depay for his goal in the Ligue 1 home match against Stade Rennais, March 3, 2021 (AFP / PHILIPPE DESMAZES)
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The main thing was acquired on a goal from Houssem Aouar, late scorer (74th) a quarter of an hour after coming into play. The young French international midfielder has unblocked the situation after a great job by captain Memphis Depay, impeccable in the engagement and revolt.
“Houssem Aouar scores a nice goal with a lot of composure but we must praise the incredible work of Memphis. Our goal is reached for tonight,” said Lyon coach Rudi Garcia.
Side of Rennes, the soup with the grimace continues. Two days after the resignation of coach Guy Stéphan, his ex-assistant Philippe Bizeul could not prevent a fourth consecutive defeat in Ligue 1, the Rouge et Noir slipping to tenth place.
– Monaco cracks, Nantes too –
Strasbourg players rejoice after defender Frédéric Guilbert’s goal in the Ligue 1 home game against Monaco on March 3, 2021 (AFP / Frederick FLORIN)
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In the header, only AS Monaco (4th) suffered defeat on Wednesday, punished in added time in Strasbourg by a goal from Frédéric Guilbert. This is a first hitch in 2021 for the club of the principality which will receive the leader Lille during the next day on March 14.
That day, there will also be an unlikely poster from the top of the table between Lens and Metz, unexpected fifth and sixth in the championship!
The Blood and Gold made a nice shot in the empty Cauldron of Saint-Etienne (3-2), interfering in the top-5 at the expense of their future visitors to Metz, beaten Wednesday at home by Angers (1-0) .
“With hindsight, what we are doing is enormous. If someone had told us that during the preparation for the season, we would have laughed at him”, savored the Lensois defender Jonathan Gradit, calling his own to “remain humble”.
After this second defeat in a row, the Stéphanois are in 16th place but retain a five-point lead over Nîmes, the current play-off defeated 2-1 in Nice, and six points over Nantes, beaten 2-1 in the last moments at La Beaujoire via Reims.
Dijon, red lantern, lost 3-1 in Brest. The team led by David Linarès sees Ligue 2 getting inexorably closer: Nîmes (18th) has, for example, ten more units.
Lorient (17th) brought back one point from Montpellier, eighth with one point ahead of Marseille. OM will however play their last game late next Wednesday against Rennes.
jta / bvo
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