One goal was enough for the Monegasques to win in Marseille, which is done by Nice in the Ligue 1 classification.
© AFP
The joy of the Monegasques following scoring the only goal of the match.
Olympique de Marseille’s slump was extended by another home defeat once morest Monaco (1-0) and the loss of second place on Sunday for the 27th day of Ligue 1, where another historic club, Saint-Étienne, raised his head by beating Metz in a relegation duel.
After Clermont (2-0), ASM won at the Vélodrome thanks to Gelson Martins to return to 6 lengths from the podium, occupied by its victim.
OM, joined at the last minute in Troyes (1-1), took only one point in three matches and gave up second place to Nice, winner of PSG on Saturday (1-0). The team came out under the monumental bronca of the Vélodrome. And Rennes (4th) comes back to within a point of the Marseillais following their victory once morest Angers (2-0).
Good operation for Rennes
With once once more an eleven without professional full-backs, but Arkadiusz Milik starting in attack, OM played a good first period, without scoring, before suffering the law of the Monegasques, who are relaunching following their semi-final of the Cup of France lost Wednesday in Nantes (2-2, 4 t.ab. to 2).
The good trades at the top of the ranking were carried out a little further west. Rennes beat the SCO (2-0), thanks to a volley from Benjamin Bourigaud resembling that of the Portuguese Jordao once morest France at Euro 1984, which hit the ground before lobbing the goalkeeper, and an achievement from its top scorer , Gaëtan Laborde, his 14th in L1.
Nantes (6th) beat Montpellier (2-0) on the heels of their qualification for the final of the Coupe de France. And in the East, Strasbourg (5th) only took one point from Reims (1-1), the Swedish Champagne rookie Jens Cadjus equalizing… from the knee (84th) following the magnificent goal of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (69th ).
Sanchez shows up in Lille
If PSG has poorly prepared for its round of 16 Champions League return to Real Madrid, Lille (7th) reassured itself ten days before facing Chelsea by crushing Clermont (4-0) with an excellent Renato Sanches.
The Portuguese had two assists for the two Jonathans, Bamba and David, for the Canadian’s first goal of 2022. Zeki Celik and Edon Zhegrova made things worse late in the game. A good omen ten days before the big meeting once morest the Blues, where the “Dogues” must go up two goals (2-0).
Fourth success for the Greens
At the bottom of the standings, the four “dunces”, in the words of Pascal Dupraz, the coach of the “Greens”, all had 22 points before facing each other two by two.
Saint-Étienne signed his fourth success in L1 since the arrival of the Savoyard technician on the bench, a victory celebrated as a qualification for the European Cup by a full Cauldron.
A half-volley from Denis Bouanga, completely lying down to score – he even slipped – was enough to beat the Messins. “We know how to win matches, we know how to keep a score, we hope it will continue like this,” said the scorer.
Finally a penalty for Troyes
Estac also knows how to win and hold on, following overcoming OM at the last minute (1-1). Troyes had not had a single penalty in their favor this season, two were whistled in the same match.
If the first was badly shot by Mama Baldé, the Bissau-Guinean striker was lucky: Gaëtan Poussin stopped his shot, but the ball rolled under his body and the goalkeeper sent the ball into the goal himself with an unfortunate kick.
Baldé had been silent since the 11th day, but the drought of Lebo Mothiba, who converted the second penalty, was much longer. Injured for a year and a half, the South African had not scored in L1 since December 2019!
Troyes (16th) and Saint-Étienne (17th) therefore take three steps ahead of their victims and plunge back Lorient, corrected Friday by Lyon (4-1), in place of roadblocker (18th). The Girondins remain last.