Ligue 1 Review Gameweek 11

Last weekend’s Ligue 1 matches threw up a couple of surprise results meaning certain areas of the league table have become quite congested.

Caen 0-2 Nantes

Nantes ended Caen’s three-game winning streak by making it three consecutive victories for themselves as they won 2-0 at the Stade Michel d’Ornano. It was a match of few chances but the visitors were able to take theirs when they came. Yacine Bammou made the breakthrough mid-way through the first period when he fired the ball in from the edge of the box after Emiliano Sala’s pass.

The points were secured just past the hour-mark when Wilfried Moimbe’s cross was converted by Adrien Thomasson to score his first goal of the season. It wasn’t the performance expected from a Caen side that have just beaten Saint-Étienne and Reims and fortunately for them they hang on to the 3^rd spot. Nantes however have moved up to 10^th and have played a game less than almost all of the teams above them.

Lyon 3-0 Toulouse

Toulouse have slipped into the bottom three and have suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time this season after losing to Lyon. Sergi Darder set the pace for the home side quite early on as he opened the scoring with a neat finish after receiving the ball from Mathieu Valbuena. Jeremy Morel, Darder, Valbuena and Alexandre Lacazette all had chances throughout the first half but Lyon failed to double their lead.

Frenchman Valbuena did eventually get on the score sheet for himself in the 69^th-minute to dash the hopes of a Toulouse equaliser. The only threats from the visitors came from Martin Braithwaite and Yann Bodiger but they couldn’t keep their efforts on target. Lyon secured the win late on when 19-year-old Maxwell Cornet was played in by Claudio Beauvue before calmly finishing. Beauvue didn’t get a goal in the match but he put in a strong performance to get two assists. The three points lifts Lyon back up to 4^th in the league standings.

Lorient 1-1 Rennes

Despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise, it was an eventful game at the Stade du Moustoir as Lorient and Rennes had to settle for a draw. Majeed Waris worked hard for Lorient’s opener in the 25^th-minute as he beat Rennes right-back Steven Moreira to find Raphael Guerreiro who made it 1-0. The home side made it difficult to hold on to their lead when they were reduced to ten men; Lamine Kone was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

Rennes made the best of their opposition’s setback moments later when Kamil Grosicki’s free-kick was judged to have crossed the line through goal line technology. They also ensured the game finished with ten-a-side as Giovanni Sio was also dismissed after receiving a second yellow card. Two decent results in their last two games leave Lorient in 9^th, just a point behind Rennes in 7^th.

Angers 0-0 Guingamp

The match at the Stade Jean Bouin finished goalless between Angers and Guingamp but the home side will be the happier of the two as they stay 2^nd and continue their run of six games without a defeat. Younousse Sankhare thought he had broken the deadlock in the first half but his celebrations came to a halt as the offside flag was raised. Jimmy Briand and Nicolas Benezet caused constant problems for the Angers defence but Guingamp failed to take advantage.

Any hope of the three points faded for the hosts as substitute Slimane Sissoko’s two-footed challenge saw him dismissed in the final ten minutes of the game. In spite of being a player short, Angers could well have won the game in the latter stages but Cheikh Ndoye could only strike the bar with his attempt. Guingamp will feel like they should have won the match but they are still unbeaten in four and in 12^th place.

Gazélec Ajaccio 3-1 Nice

The shock of the weekend and what will probably turn out to be one of the shock results of the season came at the Stade Ange Casanova as Gazélec finally won their first Ligue 1 game against in-form Nice. It was a result that just wasn’t possible on paper with the hosts failing to win in their opening ten games and Nice scoring 17 goals in the four games before this one. Gazélec know they have to be brave to avoid relegation this season and it took them less than a minute to open the scoring in this game; Gregory Pujol finding the bottom corner.

Nice’s equaliser came from an own goal as Roderic Filippi put the ball into the back of his own net. The hosts showed the character to bounce back that they have lacked all season and Filippi atoned for his error in the 32^nd-minute as he headed in Damjan Djokovic’s cross. The points were secured just before half-time when provider Djokovic turned goal scorer as his composed finish made it 3-1. Gazélec have now moved off the bottom of the table and are in touch with safety while Nice have dropped to 6^th.

Montpellier 2-0 Bastia

Unfortunately for Gazélec, Montpellier also got a win at the weekend over Bastia. The visitors’ early form has kept them going so far this season but they need to improve after seven losses in eight games. They are now 16^th but only two points above Montpellier in 17^th meaning they have been dragged into a relegation battle.

Ryad Boudebouz broke the deadlock just after the hour-mark when he was able to get a shot away to score against his former club. Delvin Ndinga made sure of the victory in second half stoppage time when his acrobatic finish was too much for Jean-Louis Leca. Now they are out of the relegation zone they will look to kick-start their season and push for the European spots again; albeit a difficult task.

Reims 0-1 Monaco

Monaco are finally back to winning ways as they earned the three points and a clean sheet at the Stade Auguste Delaune. Bernardo Silva scored his fourth goal of the season to give his side the win when he met Nabil Dirar’s cross to make it 1-0 after just 11 minutes. The visitors were unlucky not to double their lead as Guido Carrillo struck the woodwork on two occasions.

Any hope of a Reims leveller vanished when Antoine Devaux was sent off after receiving his second yellow card leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb. The only plus side for Reims is that the scoreline remained with just one goal separating the teams as Monaco failed to capitalise on their build-up play. Monaco have moved up to 8^th after overtaking Reims, whose three successive defeats have seen them plummet to 11^th.

Bordeaux 1-0 Troyes

The disheartening of Troyes grew to a great extent last weekend as they became the only club in the league yet to win a game this season and they fell to the bottom of the league. Bordeaux have temporarily avoided being dragged towards the bottom three as the three points in this game has lifted them to 13^th in the table.

It was a substitute who opened the scoring as Adam Ounas came off the bench to net the winner in the 78^th-minute. The 18-year-old was quickest to react when Troyes’ defence failed to clear Henri Saivet’s free-kick. With Montpellier and Gazélec both gaining maximum points at the weekend the pressure is really on Troyes to start performing.

Lille 1-2 Marseille

Visitors Marseille have finally won another game and it was needed against supposed European spot rivals Lille. Their season objectives are going to be difficult to meet this year as Marseille have overtaken Lille but move to only 14^th, while Les Dogues are one point behind in 15^th. Michy Batshuayi put the visitors ahead not long before half-time when his quick reactions made it 1-0 after the ball came back off the post following Romain Alessandrini’s shot.

Batshuayi then returned the favour of an assist for Alessandrini when a lapse in the Lille defence allowed him time to pick out the Frenchman for the second goal of the game. Sebastien Corchia pulled a goal back for the hosts but it was no more than a consolation which means Lille’s struggles continue for another week.

Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 Saint-Étienne

The final game of the weekend was at the Parc des Princes and it was supposed to be a thrilling encounter between two top Ligue 1 sides. PSG hadn’t read the script however as they cruised to a comfortable victory over Saint-Étienne. The draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League probably gave Les Parisians a bit of confidence going into this one as they stretch their lead at the top of the table to seven points. Layvin Kurzawa opened the scoring mid-way through the first half and in-form Edinson Cavani doubled the lead just after half-time.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it very difficult for a Saint-Étienne comeback as his calm finish made it 3-0 with over an hour played. A brief spell for Les Verts did result in a goal but it wasn’t through their own doing; Marco Verratti put the ball into his own net with under 20 minutes to play. The dominant performance by PSG was topped off just before the final whistle when substitute Lucas Moura, who didn’t start against Madrid either, popped up with a header to make it 4-1 and seal the points. Three defeats in four games means Saint-Étienne are 5^th in the league but PSG’s unbeaten run goes on.