Ligue 1 Weekend Review: Incomplete Edition [UPDATE: Never Mind]

No one thought Auxerre would be leading Ligue 1.

Thanks to previous swine flu-related shenanigans, this week actually started on Friday with the rescheduled Marseille v. Paris Saint-Germain match, forcing those two clubs to play their actual Week 13 matches on this coming Wednesday. So we don’t yet have a result of the week, nor a completed list of the top of the Ligue 1 table. December 2nd. So 4 clubs have only played 12 matches. The result of the week goes to Auxerre, who beat Monaco 2-0 to vault to the top of the table.

Friday, November 11th:

Marseille 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain – While PSG were missing Hoarau and Makelele, L’OM saw ben Arfa in the stands (rather than the bench) after a mid-week clash with gaffer Didier Deschamps. The latter still saw his team perform well against the faltering side from the capital, starting quickly as Niang forced a save from PSG GK Coupet in the 2nd minute. After Heinze sent a header over teh bar in the 7th minute, PSG finally began to push back, with a Jallet free-kick eliciting a save from Marseille GK Mandanda in the 16th minute. The only goal of the match came in the 25th minute when Henize headed home a free-kick from Abriel. PSG had only 1 more shot on goal during the entire match, with Erdinq stopped by Mandanda in the 37th minute. L’OM could have had more goals, but Niang had his shot tipped onto the bar by Coupet in the 40th minute, and in the 53rd minute PSG defender Ceara was there to clean up the mess after Coupet spilled a shot from Cheyrou. The final opportunity came in the 71st minute when Brandao shot wide, but Marseille had already done more than enough to secure the 3 points.

Saturday, November 21st:

Bordeaux 0-1 Valenciennes – Bordeaux were stunned at home by a Valenciennes side that managed only 3 shots (compared to 24 for Les Girondins). Their downfall came early, as in the 7th minute ben Khalfallah raced down the flank and crossed for Samassa, whose cross/shot confused Bordeaux GK Carrassso. Already down 1-0, Bordeaux saw Chamakh go off with an injury in the 12th minute (possibly giving Arsene another reason not to pursue him in the January transfer window). That turn of fate woke up his teammates, however, leading to a free-kick from Wendel in the 21st minute that was stopped by a great save from Valenciennes GK Assembe. Cavenaghi then headed wide in the 30th minute, while Gouffran had his shot tipped onto the bar by Assembe in the 40th minute for the final chance of the half. Things began similarly after the break, with Gouffran stopped by Assembe in the 51st minute, and another Wendel free-kick eliciting another great save from Assembe in the 59th minute. Perhaps the best chance for Les Girondins came in the 70th minute, but Wendel sent his volley just wide. A final free-kick in the 88th minute from Cavenaghi saw Assembe make his final save, albeit one that was slightly easier than his previous efforts.

Grenoble 1-1 Lyon – Cellar-dwelling Grenoble picked up only their 2nd point of the campaign at the expense of a Lyon side that had an opportunity to move to the top of the table. The latter were frustrated in front of goal, getting only 2 shots  on frame despite maintaining 57% of the possession. In the 1st minute Matsui had a cross/shot stopped by Lyon GK Lloris, while the former hit the crossbar with a header in the 12th minute. Lyon then saw Govou shoot wide in the 32nd minute, while Lopez was stopped by Grenoble GK Le Crom in the 63rd minute. They finally broke through in the 66th minute after some good work from Gomis allowed Delgado to go in 1-on-1 against Le Crom for a relatively easy finish. When Grenoble went down to 10 men in the 71st minute after a straight RC to Courtois for making contact with the referee, Lyon surely thought they had secured the 3 points. However, just 2 minutes later Ljuboja did well to secure a long ball and finished clinically for the equalizer, and neither side saw a good scoring opportunity for the remainder of the match.

Lens 2-1 Nancy – In a foul-filled match that surprisingly saw only 4 YCs, Lens left it very late to send Nancy to defeat. In the 4th minute a Feret free-kick was saved by Lens GK Runje, who also kept out a header from Hadji in the 18th minute and a shot from Dia in the 35th minute. Almost immediately after the restart Runje was busy again, stopping a free-kick from Berenguer in the 49th minute. The opening goal came in the 53rd minute when Alo’o Efoulou volleyed home a headed cross from Hadji. Lens then began to exert some pressure, as Roudet sent a free-kick wide in the 63rd minute and was stopped 1-on-1 by Nancy GK Bracigliano just 3 minutes later. The equalizer came in the 81st minute when Jemaa dispossessed Brison and finished coolly. The collapse was complete in the 84th minute when all that Bracigliano could do was punch out a cross from Roudet to a waiting Monnet-Paquet who volleyed home the winner.

Rennes 2-1 Le Mans – In a fairly even match Rennes got goals very early and very late to earn the victory. In the 3rd minute Dossevi had his shot stopped by Rennes GK Douchez. On the other end of the pitch in the 10th minute, Le Mans GK Ovono flailed uselessly at a corner from Marveaux, which found Mangane waiting to finish on an empty net. The Le Mans netminder atoned for his mistakes, stopping a header from Sow in the 34th minute and again (with an incredible save) in the 45th minute. The equalizer came in the 56th minute when Lamah finished off a pass from Le Tallec, and Le Mans appeared poised to gain at least 1 point from the match. They could have taken the lead in the 70th minute but Goulon shot wide, and they would rue that miss in the 81st minute when Bangoura played Gyan for the finish.

Auxerre 2-0 Monaco – Auxerre won its 7th match in a row to complete a stunning move to the top of the table. They started well, with Niculae forcing Monaco GK Ruffier into a save of his header in the 8th minute, while Mignot shot just wide in the 17th minute. Hengbart also headed wide in the 30th minute, but they would get their goal in first-half stoppage time as a free-kick from Pedretti was headed home by Coulibaly. The latter was instrumental on the other end of the pitch in the 52nd minute, blocking a shot from Park. The first shot on goal for Monaco did not come until the 59th minute, when Alonso was stopped by Auxerre GK Sorin. In the 75th minute Pedretti had his free-kick cleared out, but only as far as Hengbart whose volley was saved by Ruffier. The 2nd goal came in the 87th minute when Ndinga finished off a nice 1-2 with Niculae.

Sunday, November 23rd:

Nice 1-0 Toulouse – Despite putting 5 shots on goal and maintaining 63% of the possession, no one on Toulouse other than Gignac looked up for this match and they deserved the loss. In the 4th minute Mounier put a shot over the bar, while on the other end of the pitch Gignac shot wide in the 9th minute. While Mounier was stopped by Toulouse GK Blondel in the 11th minute, he was matched in the 27th minute when Gignac found himself stopped by Nice GK Ospina. The latter was clearly the busier of the 2 netminders, as he was called upon to punch out a free-kick from Machado in the 36th minute, and made yet another save on Gignac in the 48th minute. The lone goal came in the 51st minute when M’Bengue was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box and Remy finished off the resulting PK. The only other action came near the very end of the match, when Ospina made a final save on Gignac in the 89th minute.

Saint-Etienne 0-2 Lorient – Following a theme for the weekend, Saint-Etienne held 63% of the possession and took 21 shots but came away with no points. In the 1st minute Fernandez was stopped by Lorient GK Audard, and just 3 minutes later Vahirua sent in a free-kick for the opening goal. Lorient scored again in the 17th minute, as Sosa headed home a corner from Vahirua. Saint-Etienne were further on the back foot in the 27th minute when Matuidi was injured in a challenge with Amalfitano, and their supporters booed their lackluster effort at the half. In the 53rd minute a bad turnover from Sako lead to a shot from Gameiro that was stopped by Saint-Etienne GK Janot, who repeated the feat in the 59th minute. There were some signs of life, with Bergessio hitting the post and then shooting wide, but Audard did well to stop Saint-Etienne’s final opportunity in the 70th minute with a great save on a shot from Sako.

Montpellier 2-0 Lille – Montpellier regained their stride against a very game Lille squad, making the best of their opportunities in this match. In the 4th minute Montano sent a header just wide in a signal of intent, and neither side had a chance on goal until Gervinho had his shot blocked in the 26th minute by Jeunechamp. Camara was stopped twice by Lille GK Landreau, with the latter tipping away the shot in the 38th minute and standing up well in the 41st minute. Lille had the first shot of the 2nd half, with Cabaye putting his effort wide in the 57th minute, but it was Montpellier who broke through when a free-kick from Marveaux deflected off defender Chedjou to a waiting Montano in the 65th minute. Lille’s final opportunity came in the 79th minute when Gervinho had his header stopped by Montpellier GK Jourdren, and Montano completed his brace (and earned the GSTGC award) to secure the 3 points in the 87th minute on a cross from Ait Fana.

NOTE: Update coming after Wednesday’s matches.I am incapable of rudimentary functions, such as reading calendars.

So, after Matchday 13, the top of the table looks like this: (1) Auxerre, with 26 points on an 8-2-3 record and a +5 goal differential; (2) Bordeaux, with 25 points on an 8-1-4 record and a +10 goal differential; (3) Lyon, with 25 points on a 7-4-2 record and a +6 goal differential; and (4) Lorient, with 24 points on a 7-3-3record and a +11 goal differential.