Ligue 1 Review Gameweek 3

Toulouse 1-1 Monaco

Toulouse earned an impressive point at home to Monaco on Saturday, but may feel like they should have got all three points having been 1-0 up at half-time. Monaco were forced to come from behind when Tongo Doumbia put the hosts ahead after capitalising on a Danijel Subasic error in the 22^nd-minute. Monaco’s equaliser came from substitute Thomas Lemar when he unleashed a strike from range with just over an hour gone.

Both teams were pushing for a winner in the final stages of the match but it didn’t arrive, meaning they had a share of the points. These two sides have had steady starts to the season, with Monaco in 8^th and still unbeaten; winning one and drawing two games, and Toulouse two places below in 10^th after some tough opening fixtures.

Lille 0-0 Bordeaux

In a match where neither team could afford to lose, the final result was a goalless draw even with numerous chances for both sides. Bordeaux are now 14^th and Lille are 16^th after they have both lost their opening game and drawn the following two, and they will enter the fourth week desperate for their first win.

It was an entertaining match at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with Lille just edging the tally of goal scoring opportunities. They haven’t scored in their three games so far this season and luck wasn’t on their side in this match after hitting the woodwork three times. Enzo Crivelli had the best of the chances for the visitors, forcing a save from Vincent Enyeama and hitting the frame of the goal in the second half. There was a moment of madness from the referee after Bordeaux defender Nicolas Pallois received a red card for a second bookable offence, even though he’d just received his first yellow of the match. Lille will fancy their chances to turn their form around against Gazélec next week, while Bordeaux will hope to kick-start their season versus unbeaten Nantes.

Lorient 0-1 Saint-Étienne

Lorient made it difficult to get anything out of this game at an early stage when goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte was sent off for a foul on Romain Hamouma within the first minute. In spite of Les Merlus’ resilience, Sylvain Ripoll’s side will feel disheartened after conceding to a late Hamouma goal, who fired in a Neal Maupay pass to earn all the points in the 87^th-minute.

It was a much needed victory for Saint-Étienne who move up to 11^th after their first victory of the season, but Lorient’s respectable start is over and they have dropped to 15^th after this defeat following impressive performances against Lyon and Bastia.

Marseille 6-0 Troyes

Marseille appointed former Olympiacos manager Michel last week, and are up and running this season after this emphatic win at the Stade Vélodrome against Ligue 1 new boys Troyes. Regardless of failing to score in their first two matches, Les Phocéens are now the league’s joint top scores after netting six times in this game. It was nothing short of an annihilation, but this wasn’t the case at half-time as Troyes went in at the break just 1-0 down due to an Abdelaziz Barrada goal.

Lassana Diarra and Michy Batshuayi scored within nine minutes of each other just after half time with calm finishes, and Lucas Ocampos netted the fourth in the 63^rd-minute of the game. Marseille didn’t dominate the match statistics with shots and possession, but the scoreline says otherwise. Romain Alesdandrini added a fifth in the 87^th-minute before Batshuayi scored his second goal of the game to complete the rout in stoppage time. Troyes drop down to 17^th with just two draws on their points tally and Marseille have jumped up to 13^th and will hope they can progress from here to push for a European spot.