Ligue 1 Review Gameweek 20

 

A shock defeat for Lyon and a slip-up from Nice were the highlights as Ligue 1 football returned after the international break.

 

Friday 13 January

Lille 1-1 Saint-Étienne Venue – Stade Pierre-Mauroy

Lille came back to earn a point at the Stade de la Mosson after being a goal down for over an hour against Saint-Étienne.

Romain Hamouma put Les Verts ahead early in the first half but substitute Nicolas de Preville salvaged a point with a 71^st-minute equaliser. The Frenchman nearly won the match for the hosts but his effort two minutes from time hit the woodwork.

Saint-Étienne remain 8^th in the league standings, while Lille are still five points behind in 13^th place.

 

Saturday 14 January

Rennes 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain Venue – Roazhon Park

PSG picked up where they left off before the winter break as they strode to another win, narrowly beating Rennes.

New signing Julian Draxler made the difference for the champions as he scored for the second consecutive game.

It was a dominant display from Les Parisians and they could have taken the lead earlier through Draxler and Matuidi, but the breakthrough came six minutes before the break when the German international curled a first-time shot into the far corner.

There was no change in the table as PSG sit 3^rd and Rennes are still 7^th.

Angers 1-1 Bordeaux Venue – Stade Jean Bouin

A goal for both sides in the first half ensured the points were shared between Angers and Bordeaux at the Stade Jean Bouin.

Ismael Traore opened the scoring for the hosts but Bordeaux were back on level terms thanks to a Baptiste Santamaria own goal.

Angers are still just inside the bottom three, while Bordeaux’s sixth game without a win left them 10^th.

Lorient 3-1 Guingamp Venue – Stade du Moustoir

A disappointing loss at the Stade du Moustoir left Guingamp in 5^th place, but the win will give Lorient hope of Ligue 1 survival as they climbed from the bottom of the league to within two points of safety.

The visitors actually had a half-time lead following Yannis Salibur’s opener, but three goals in the latter stages of the second half directed Les Merlus to a vital three points.

Majeed Waris scored the leveller for Lorient in the 72^nd-minute and Jimmy Cabot turned the game on its head with a goal ten minutes later. Waris then had a chance to score his second from the spot but struck the woodwork, however he later made amends with the hosts’ third on the stroke of full-time.

Montpellier 1-1 Dijon Venue – Stade de la Mosson

A late Montpellier meant they rescued a point at home to Dijon, denying the visitors a much needed victory.

Julio Tavares broke the deadlock in the 27^th-minute and it looked as though this could have been enough to earn Dijon the three points. La Paillade struck late however and Jerome Roussillon’s goal earned Montpellier a share of the spoils.

 

Dijon remain 16^th, just outside of the relegation zone on goal difference, while Montpellier are just three points ahead in 12^th.

Nancy 1-0 Bastia Venue – Stade Marcel Picot

A narrow win for Nancy over Bastia did the home side the world of good as they gave themselves some breathing space from the danger zone.

Issiar Dia’s strike just before the hour mark was enough for victory as ten-man Bastia couldn’t find a way back into the game. Allan Saint-Maximin was dismissed late on for the visitors to end all hope of a fightback.

The three points took Nancy up to 11^th, while Bastia’s second successive defeat left them 17^th in the Ligue 1 standings.

Toulouse 0-1 Nantes Venue – Stadium Municipal

There was another narrow win at the Stadium Municipal but it wasn’t for the home side as Nantes came out on top by beating Toulouse.

An early goal settled the match as Emiliano Sala opened the scoring with a header after 20 minutes were on the clock. Les Pitchouns had no response and couldn’t find a route back into the game.

Nantes’ victory took them temporarily clear of danger to 14^th, while Toulouse are still 9^th in the table.

 

Sunday 15 January

Nice 0-0 Metz Venue – Allianz Riviera

Nice’s title hopes took another hit on Sunday as they were held to a goalless draw with bottom club Metz.

Les Aiglons were missing their key men, with Mario Balotelli and Younes Belhanda missing the match through suspension. It was a game of few real chances but Alassane Plea and Wylan Cyprien came closest for the hosts.

Metz were content to sit back and hit on the break and it worked for them. Nice gave Monaco the chance to claim top spot, while PSG closed the gap to just three points.

Caen 3-2 Lyon Venue – Stade Michel d’Ornano

The shock of the weekend came at the Stade Michel d’Ornano where title chasers Lyon suffered a defeat at the hands of Caen.

Caen were in front after just eight minutes and it was Lyon’s Maxwel Cornet scoring an own goal that gave the hosts the lead. Their lead was doubled just before the half-hour when Ivan Santini converted from the spot.

Lyon fought back and Alexandre Lacazette scored two goals to level the scores. His first was from the spot in the 35^th-minute, before he found the net again moments before the half-time break. This didn’t hinder Caen as they began the second period as they did the first; Santini scored his second of the game to make it 3-2 just past the hour mark.

Les Gones remain 11 points off the pace but they do have a game in hand, while Caen climb out of the bottom three to 15^th with a big victory.

Marseille 1-4 Monaco Venue – Stade Vélodrome

Marseille’s win streak was ended by Monaco in an emphatic fashion as they were defeated 4-1 at the Stade Vélodrome.

Les Olympiens had won their previous four Ligue 1 matches but early goals from Thomas Lemar and Radamel Falcao cast doubt on the chance of making it five in a row.

Rolando pulled a goal back for the hosts just before the half-hour mark with a header following a Maxime Lopez set-piece, but Bernardo Silva’s headed goal on the stroke of half-time re-established Monaco’s two-goal lead. The points were wrapped up in the 56^th-minute when Silva scored his second of the game; capitalising on Yohann Pele parrying Fabinho’s shot.

The result saw Monaco take top spot from Nice on goal difference, while Marseille sit 6^th in the table.