Ligue 1 Review Gameweek 18

Unexpected defeats for PSG and Monaco allowed Nice to take advantage and let other sides close the gap on the title contenders.

 

Friday 16 December

Angers 0-2 Nantes Venue – Stade Jean Bouin

A disappointing weekend for Angers saw them lose at home to Nantes, as the hosts were dragged into a relegation battle.

Les Canaris took the lead in the 18^th-minute when Guillaume Gillet’s effort from range found the net. They continued on the front foot in the second half and doubled their lead three minutes after the restart through 19-year-old Amine Harit.

Nantes remain 19^th in the table but have reduced the gap to safety to just two points. Angers are only three points ahead of them in 15^th after failing to win any of their previous six matches.

 

Saturday 17 December

Guingamp 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain Venue – Stade du Roudourou

The shock of the weekend came at the Stade du Roudourou where, despite their great start to the season, it was still a surprise to see Guingamp defeat the champions PSG.

It was a flurry of goals in the latter stages of the second half that changed the game as it took over an hour for the deadlock to be broken. Guingamp rode the early storm of Les Parisians and as the game went on, it looked more likely they would take something from the game.

The hosts took advantage of PSG’s lack of finishing when Yannis Salibur opened the scoring in the 66^th-minute after being released by Lucas Deaux. PSG were then the masters of their own downfall shortly after, as a wasted corner made way for a Guingamp counter attack. Salibur and Jimmy Briand began the move and Nill De Pauw finished at the other end of the pitch to put Guingamp two goals ahead.

Edinson Cavani set up a tense end to the game with an 80^th-minute goal, but it was only a consolation as the home side held on for the win. PSG remain 3^rd and are now seven points off the leaders; the same gap lies between them and 5^th place Guingamp.

Lorient 2-1 Saint-Étienne Venue – Stade du Moustoir

Another surprising result was bottom of the league Lorient’s triumph over Saint-Étienne, leaving Les Verts 9^th in the league standings.

The hosts were handed the advantage after ten minutes when Saint-Étienne goalkeeper Jessy Moulin was shown a straight red for a foul on Benjamin Moukandjo outside the box. It took Lorient half an hour to make the best of the situation but Romain Philippoteaux converted Erwin Koffi’s cross six minutes before the half-time interval.

Lorient’s victory was secured on the dot of the regulation 90 minutes when Jimmy Cabot scored his side’s second, but there was still time for Vincent Pajot to score a consolation goal for Saint-Étienne two minutes into added time.

Montpellier 4-0 Bordeaux Venue – Stade de la Mosson

An emphatic win for Montpellier saw them close the gap on Bordeaux in the Ligue 1 standings, as they sit 11^th and 10^th respectively.

La Paillade were two goals up inside the opening 20 minutes thanks to goals from Paul Lasne and Stephane Sessegnon, before any hope of a result for Bordeaux diminished as they were reduced to ten men. Jeremy Menez was given his marching orders later in the first half due to an off-the-ball incident.

There was further Montpellier dominance in the second period but they had to wait until the 84^th-minute for Steve Mounie to add a third. Just like in the first half, two goals came in quick succession as Yacouba Sylla completed the rout in stoppage time, ensuring it was Montpellier’s biggest win of the campaign.

Rennes 1-2 Bastia Venue – Roazhon Park

Rennes’ challenge for the European spots took another hit on Saturday as they were defeated at home by Bastia.

It was a dominant performance from the hosts in terms of possession, but they did little with the ball and paid the price when Enzo Crivelli gave Bastia the lead in the 59^th-minute on the counter. It took the visitors just four minutes to strengthen their lead when Gael Danic scored Bastia’s second of the game.

Giovanni’s well-taken finish pulled a goal back for Rennes, but with around 20 minutes to play they couldn’t find an equaliser.

Rennes dropped to 7^th as a result of failing to capitalise on the slip-ups of those in the top three, while Bastia jumped to 12^th following back-to-back victories.

 

Toulouse 1-1 Nancy Venue – Stadium Municipal

It was also a missed opportunity for Toulouse as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Nancy at the Stadium Municipal.

The result could have been much worse for Les Pitchouns as they found themselves a goal down at half-time. Youssef Ait Bennasser scored for Nancy in the 33^rd-minute after some neat hold-up play from Maurice Dale.

Toulouse had it all to do in the second half with the visitors more likely to sit back and protect their lead. It took until the 85^th-minute for the home side to get back in the game and it was through Christopher Jullien with a powerful header, rescuing a point for Toulouse.

The point ensured Nancy finished the weekend in 14^th place, while Toulouse still maintain a strong position in 8^th.

 

Sunday 18 December

Caen 3-0 Metz Venue – Stade Michel d’Ornano

Another disappointing outing for Metz saw them lose their third game in a row without finding the net, this time being defeated at Caen.

Yann Karamoh headed the hosts in front in the 20^th-minute after getting on the end of Vincent Bessat’s delivery. Metz’s game was all but over just before the hour when Milan Bisevac was dismissed for violent conduct.

Caen took advantage of having the extra man within four minutes as Ivan Santini doubled the home side’s lead with an effort from outside the penalty area. The points were well and truly wrapped up in the latter stages when Pape Sane beat Thomas Didillon to make it 3-0.

The teams remain side-by-side in the Ligue 1 table but Caen have the upper hand in 16^th thanks to a superior goal difference.

Nice 2-1 Dijon Venue – Allianz Riviera

Nice had the advantage of playing before Monaco for a change and put the pressure on their rivals with a 2-1 victory over Dijon.

Mario Balotelli was the hero for Les Aiglons, scoring a brace to earn a massive three points for his side. The first came just after the half-hour mark, as he was ever reliable to convert from the spot after Alassane Plea was impeded by Yunis Abdelhamid.

Dijon were allowed a similar route back into the game when they were awarded a penalty just five minutes later. Arnaud Souquet fouled Vincent Rufli to give referee Benoit Millot another important decision to make, but he pointed to the spot once more which gave Julio Tavares the chance to fire home the leveller.

Despite appearing to be in an offside position, Balotelli restored Nice’s lead when he converted Souquet’s cross in the 50^th-minute. The points were all but secured for the hosts and Dijon’s hopes of a comeback faded late on when Cedric Varrault was shown a second yellow card.

Nice regained their four-point lead at the top of Ligue 1, while Dijon slipped into the bottom three after failing to win for the eighth consecutive time.

Marseille 2-0 Lille Venue – Stade Vélodrome

Marseille look to be back to their old ways as they won for the third successive game to move up to 6^th, ending Lille’s win streak of three to leave the visitors 13^th in the table.

Two quick, second half goals from Les Olympiens were enough to secure the win. The hosts drew first blood in the 56^th-minute when Bafetimbi Gomis struck Maxime Lopez’s delivery past Vincent Enyeama in the Lille goal.

Matters were made even worse for Les Dogues five minutes later when Marseille doubled their lead. Florian Thauvin’s fine strike from outside the box found the top corner to claim all three points for the hosts.

Monaco 1-3 Lyon Venue – Stade Louis II

Monaco aren’t used to the pressure of playing after their rivals but it showed at the Stade Louis II on Sunday as they were defeated by Lyon.

Les Gones’ goalkeeper can take the credit for keeping his side in the game early on, as two great saves from Bernardo Silva prevented Monaco from taking the lead. The proved pivotal as Lyon went on to open the scoring through Rachid Ghezzal, before Monaco’s game plan was turned on its head when Benjamin Mendy was sent off for kicking out at Corentin Tolisso.

Alexandre Lacazette should have doubled the visitors’ lead when his weak effort from the spot was saved by Danijel Subasic, following Fabinho’s foul on the Frenchman. Lyon’s lead was however strengthened just past the hour when Mathieu Valbuena and Ghezzal combined once again. Ghezzal turned provider to tee up the Frenchman, who made no mistake, confidently finishing past Subasic.

Monaco had hope of a fightback when Tiemoue Bakayogo found the net after some neat play from Nabil Dirar and Thomas Lemar, but any hopes were soon dashed when Lacazette scored a third after he was presented the ball from Subasic.

A first defeat in nine games for Monaco saw them remain 2^nd in the league but four points from the league leaders Nice. Lyon look to be closing in fast as they remain 4^th, with a game in hand still to play.