Monaco extinguishes Paris

This long Sunday began with the umpteenth defeat of Stade Rennais, in Montpellier. However, the Bretons started the game quite well but the problem is that it is impossible to win if you are not able to score a goal. And even more when you make big defensive mistakes with this lack of marking on Mavididi on Savanier’s free kick which brings the first goal and a new very bad defense on the second goal of the Englishman, who takes the ball away flicking before deceiving Gomis on the left.

The debates were then balanced, especially as Montpellier was waiting for Rennes to discover itself. Grenier had to come back and give Guirassy an assist for Rennes to reduce the score. But it was insufficient. At the same time, how do you hope to win a match when you play with a Nzonzi-Martin-Bourigeaud midfielder? The weeks go by and look the same for Julien Stéphan, who would do better to concentrate on his team rather than use his saliva to answer me at a press conference.

In the 3 pm matches, Lens definitely buried Dijon by winning 2-1 while we know that the Sang et Or have a lot of difficulty winning at Bollaert. Haise’s players scored two goals, the first by the excellent Fofana who was expensive but worth the investment, the second by Banza who had just returned. For the Burgundians, I’m afraid that mass will be said… It doesn’t smell good for Nice either. After a good match at the Parc and a decent performance in Marseille, the Aiglons lost again, at home against a Metz team faithful to itself, serious, intelligent and efficient. Like the Lensois, the Messins are fighting for a European place and given what they show, it is well deserved.

Conversely, Nîmes has regained some hope by beating Bordeaux, the best team there is to revive. These Girondins are appalling and again, the word is weak because we are in absolute j’m’en-foutism. There is no motivation, no commitment, nothing… Faced with the Gardois who played the bit between their teeth, the difference was obvious and materialized by two goals from the Crocos, the first by the Norwegian Meling and the second by Ripart, which is the absolute symbol of this team. Apart from that, Strasbourg-Angers was a sad game that ended in a deserved 0-0.

Monaco in the title race

And then, after their draw against Brest and the bad evening against Ajax, we waited with some impatience for the reaction of LOSC. So I won’t go so far as to say, like Galtier, that it was the most successful match of the Lille season, we must not exaggerate. But we saw a good Lille, who was scared when Hergault equalized with a rather bizarre curled shot. After that, the Northerners proceeded with a nice goal from Fonte on a bad return from the Breton defense, a magnificent free kick from Ikoné and a strike from Bradaric at the end of the match. At that time, Lille were not yet aware of getting such a good deal by winning at Moustoir …

Because in the evening, Paris failed. I remember how I opened my post last Tuesday after Barça-PSG, writing that it was pointless to compare the PSG version Ligue 1 and the PSG version Champions League. This was confirmed last night at the Parc, with a Parisian team which was eaten up by a Monegasque team which did not play with its usual style but in a very defensive and aggressive way in pressing. This physical boost that many teams have against PSG, the Monegasques have not had. Monaco’s side, Caio Henrique and Aguilar were brilliant, the second being decisive passer on the opening goal signed Diop.

Paris finished the first half without creating the slightest chance and given Pochettino’s starting lineup, I wasn’t surprised. We know that this Paredes-Herrera-Gueye midfielder does not know how to play ball. Paredes is good when he plays with Verratti. And it’s a shame when you have Verratti, Rafinha or even Draxler on the bench to start with this midfield. And if the Little Owl was fit to come in in the 55th minute, he was fit to start the match. And this match would have been different with him from the start. And then it is also there that we realize that the absences of Neymar and Di Maria, which we have somewhat thrown in the trash after the victory at Camp Nou, are detrimental.

Despite everything, Monaco has largely deserved its success with players who are progressing. Beyond the astonishing Maripan, Disasi perfectly controlled Mbappé and the Tchouaméni-Fofana duo worked very well. With this success, ASM came back to two points behind PSG and found himself fully engaged in the title race, twelve games to go. If the PSG wants to keep its title, it will have to come out of services like that of Camp Nou, in particular during direct confrontations with its rivals. And the figures are not in his favor since he has taken only one point out of twelve so far against Lyon, Lille and Monaco.

Pierrot

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