It will be necessary to explain to me how we were able to schedule three days in a week just before Christmas while Ligue 1 resumed three weeks after the other championships. The geniuses who concoct the calendar are nothing but incompetent… So we had the classic match of the week where everyone is spinning and where it is very difficult to see coherent things. In the 19 hours matches, Metz hyper solid defensively around a dazzling Kouyaté-Boye hinge won 2-0 in Montpellier. As usual, when they have a pivotal match to go over, the Héraultais missed each other. This does not detract from the fine performance of the Lorrainers who, after a little slack, were reassuring and interesting.
In Reims, the Nantes people committed suicide by conceding three goals in six minutes. When you play your skin in Ligue 1, it is not possible. This success will do the Rémois a lot of good and overwhelms an FCNA where the atmosphere outside the field is catastrophic. In the teams in great danger, we must now add the Canaries. I’m afraid for Nîmes that it is already over. Even when the Gardois play against a recovering team like Nice and in power play for more than half an hour after Schneiderlin’s expulsion, they fail to score and always end up conceding one. We will await confirmation of Nice’s performance, this weekend against Lyon for example.
And then Strasbourg, which was dying a few weeks ago, resurfaced with this success in Angers. For the second time in a row, the SCO did not find the net and was very inconsistent offensively. Racing must be congratulated on having made the costly investment in Diallo since the former Messin is already at 5 goals and 2 assists in 8 games. Finally, Lille won easily and without history in Dijon, with a nice goal from Yazici and a second achievement from Weah, who greatly celebrated it. LOSC wanted to keep the lead in the championship and prepare well for the arrival of PSG, it’s done.
At 9 p.m., we witnessed the Monegasque debacle against Lens. The great thing about the Blood and Gold is that they have understood the principle of being behind closed doors: at home or outside, it’s the same. So they play the same way, with the same enthusiasm, the same involvement and the same willingness to play the offensive shots thoroughly. Haise players took advantage of the immense weakness of a Monegasque team which again lost a central back on expulsion – Disasi. The other very alarming thing about the Rock side is the disastrous form of Ben Yedder. One would think that ASM would have the means to join in the fight for the title but the players of Kovac are in the process of stalling.
Lyon and Marseille injured by arbitration
Saint-Etienne ended their 11-game winless streak by winning Bordeaux in a fairly enjoyable game, with two wonderful goals. Nordin’s strike and Neyou’s volley are magnificent. It had been some time since we saw progress among the Greens, here they are rewarded. For its part, PSG won slowly against Lorient, with a penalty from Mbappé and a goal from Kean. In football terms, that’s about all there is to say. Paris had 85% possession in the first half but it was Lorient who had the best chances. I do not understand how Tuchel can renew, at the Parc against Lorient, an organization set up for the match in Manchester. How can you play with five defenders and two defensive midfielders plus Rafinha? How do you want the players to have automatisms since they are never the same… The only holder lined up was Mbappé. We can say that the others rested for Lille, but hey …
And then it’s a shame that the matches which concerned Lyon and Marseille were distorted by the arbitration. Mr. Brisard, the brilliant head of Classico refereeing, did it again in Lyon. Always amazing, Brest opened the scoring on a CSC of Lopes who knocked down a shot from the back on the post of Philippoteaux. But the pressure from Lyon became enormous as the match progressed. Larsonneur multiplied his exploits but ended up giving up on a Depay penalty that the Dutchman had himself obtained and then on a goal from Cornet at the far post. And then came this penalty, whistled for a charge from Lopes on Mounié. Everyone knows what I think of Lopes’ releases but there, for once, give a penalty on this action …
Quite frankly, with VAR I am unable to know who hits who and I even have the impression that it is simply the two players who collide. Here again, the Portuguese goalkeeper gave us a small series of rolls worthy of that of the Park. This did not prevent him from stopping the penalty shot by Chardonnet. Except that Mr. Brisard felt that Lopes had moved from his line. When you see the slow motion, yes it advances twenty centimeters but I find this rule completely stupid. The attackers have the right to feint or almost mark a stopping time in their race but the goalkeepers are obliged to stay planted on their line. I find that absurd… Still, that makes two points lost for OL.
And that goes up to three for OM, beaten in Rennes. And yet, the first Olympian period was magnificent, with good chances and the opening of the score from Gueye with a dry strike on a center by Payet. Unfortunately, my guy Turpin then entered the scene by expelling the same Gueye for a totally unintentional nudge on Niang. The first yellow card was deserved but there is not even an elbow gesture … After that, it was harder physically for the Phocéens and I’m not sure Villas-Boas made the right choice by betting all about defense because his team has cornered itself on its goal. Traoré then equalized with a header before Hunou gave the goal of victory to Rennes who seem to be recovering little by little from their very bad pass. For OM, it is a rather undeserved stopping blow in view of their performance as long as they were at eleven.
Pierrot
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