Lille retained its first place in Ligue 1 in extremis by beating OM on the gong (2-0), Wednesday March 3, imitating Paris SG and Lyon who had a 1-0 success against Bordeaux and Rennes. The Mastiffs knocked out Marseille in the dying seconds of the match with a brace from Jonathan David (90e and 90e+3) which keeps the Parisians at two points and the Lyonnais at three points.
“It’s football, it’s cruel”, lamented on Canal + the Marseille captain and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, lucid in his observation: “Up front, it’s going way too fast for us. ” At the end of the 28e day, the suspense indeed remains intact at the top of a Ligue 1 uncertain as rarely.
The Parisians, without their top scorers Neymar (recovery), Kylian Mbappé (suspended) and Moise Kean (Covid-19), provided the minimum service with a goal from Pablo Sarabia registered in the 20e minute. Enough to calmly approach the eighth-final second leg of the Champions League against FC Barcelona, in a week.
OL did not give up
In the race for the title, Olympique Lyonnais did not give up either. However, his home victory against Stade Rennes was more difficult. The main thing was acquired on a goal from Houssem Aouar, late scorer (74e) a quarter of an hour after coming into play. The young French international midfielder unblocked the situation after a tremendous job by captain Memphis Depay, impeccable in the engagement and the revolt.
“Houssem Aouar scored a nice goal with a lot of composure, but we have to praise Memphis’ incredible work. Our goal is reached for tonight “, summarized the Lyon coach Rudi Garcia.
Side of Rennes, the soup with the grimace continues. Two days after the resignation of coach Julien Stéphan, his ex-assistant Philippe Bizeul could not prevent a fourth consecutive defeat in Ligue 1, the Rouge et Noir sliding to tenth place.
First hitch in 2021 for AS Monaco
In the leading square, only AS Monaco (4e) was defeated on Wednesday, punished in added time in Strasbourg by a goal from Frédéric Guilbert. This is a first hitch in 2021 for the club of the principality which will receive the leader Lille during the next day on March 14. That day, there will also be an unlikely poster from the top of the table between Lens and Metz, unexpected fifth and sixth in the championship.
The Blood and Gold made a nice shot in the empty Cauldron of Saint-Etienne (3-2), interfering in the top 5 at the expense of their future visitors to Metz, beaten Wednesday at home by Angers (1-0).
“Looking back, what we’re doing is huge. If someone had told us that during the preparation for the season, we would have laughed at him “, savored the Lensois defender Jonathan Gradit, calling on his ” stay humble “.
After this second defeat in a row, the Stéphanois point to the 16e up but keep a five-point lead over Nîmes, the current barrage defeated 2-1 in Nice, and six points over Nantes, beaten 2-1 in the last moments at La Beaujoire by Reims.
Dijon, red lantern, lost 3-1 in Brest. The team led by David Linarès sees Ligue 2 getting inexorably closer: Nîmes (18e) has, for example, ten more units.
Lorient (17e) brought back one point from Montpellier, eighth with one point ahead of Marseille. OM will however play their last game late next Wednesday against Rennes.
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