Ligue 1 Weekend Review

All aboard the PSG express! We're in 10th, baby! Sigh.

This week saw more slip-ups from title hopefuls, renewed scoring outbursts (there were no nil-nil draws), and several RCs to spice up the matches. While Bordeaux still have 2 games in hand on the other title contenders, Marseille made up 1 of their matches in hand midweek but their combined results from their 2 matches this week leave them at the top of the table.

The result of the week goes to Paris Saint-Germain, who regained some respectability by finally moving into the top half of the table with a 3-1 thrashing of Les Girondins. Laurent Blanc has to be wondering what has happened to his side, who have now seen 4 consecutive defeats in all competition and fallen to 5th place in Ligue 1.

Wednesday, April 7th:

Marseille 3-0 Sochaux – A frustrated Sochaux side had more YCs (4) than shots on goal (1) as they were run off the pitch by a masterclass from Marseille. In a sign of things to come, Brandao sent a header just wide in the 3rd minute of the match. Just 6 minutes later L’OM had their first goal as Heinze headed home a corner from Gonzalez (earning the GSTGC award in the process). The pressure continued, as Brandao had his header denied by Sochaux GK Dreyer in the 11th minute, but then the pace slowed considerably. The only other opportunity of the first half came in the 27th minute when Mikari brought down Bonnart in the box, and ben Arfa sent home the resulting PK. Sochaux finally woke up after the restart, with a long-range shot from Dram forcing a save from Marseille GK Mandanda. They were unlucky not to get a goal near the hour mark when a shot from Butin deflected off Heinze and slammed into the crossbar. That would prove to be their final chance, as Marseille then took control once again, with Taiwo sending a shot straight at Dreyer and Brandao headed wide again. The final goal came in the 90th minute when Kone finished off some nice individual work by finding the back of the net.

Marseille-vs Sochaux 3-0 07-04-10

Saturday, April 10th:

Le Mans 2-2 Montpellier – Montpellier slipped yet again, and the dream of the newly-promoted side taking the Ligue 1 title is slowly fading. Le Mans stunned the contenders in the 1st minute when a Dossevi free-kick found Lamah, who sent a lob over the head of Montpellier GK Jourdren. However, the teammates of the latter regrouped and in the 13th minute the equalizer arrived when Ait Fana finished off a long pass from Montano. The latter was also responsible for the next goal as he was brought down in the box by Joao Paulo in the 34th minute, and Camara stepped up to finish off the resulting PK. The match then lost all decorum as Jeunechamp fouled Dossevi, leading to flared tempers on both sides. Jeunechamp received a straight RC for clashing with Le Mans gaffer Arnaud Cormier, while Cerdan received a straight RC for barging into the situation in an instigating manner. The argy-bargy was complete when Montpellier gaffer Rene Girard was sent to the stands, and the officials were grateful for the arrival of the break 3 minutes later. Soon after the restart Montano was stopped by Le Mans GK Ovono when he was in 1-on-1, and he would rue that miss in the 69th minute when a pass from Dossevi beat the offside trap for Lamah to complete his brace. There was a final opportunity to take all the points, but Cisse had his header stopped by Jourdren late in the match.

Lens 3-0 Boulogne – Despite holding 62% of the possession, relegation-bound Boulogne looked clearly outclassed by a Lens side that is barely above them in the table. In the 2nd minute Jemma had his shot stopped by Boulogne GK Bedenik, but then the former sustained a thigh injury 3 minutes later and had to be substituted. In the 21st minute a shot from Sow deflected off Boulogne defender Bellaid, forcing Bedenik into an excellent save. While a volley from Kapo slammed into the post, the first goal came at the other end of the pitch when Maoulida sent in a free-kick in the 33rd minute. Lens GK Runje was finally called into action shortly after the restart, with a header from Thil drawing a great save. In the 50th minute Maoulida gained a brace when he finished off a cross from Bedima, and he completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute when he dribbled past Bellaid and finished off a nice 1-on-1 move around Bedenik. Lens saw a final chance go wanting in the waning minutes as Sow sent his shot over the crossbar.

Lorient 1-1 Rennes – In a match that was very even statistically, the sharing of points was always going to be the deserved result. In the 2nd minute Gameiro was denied by Rennes GK Douchez, who then turned away the follow-up effort from Vahirua. Lorient continued their quick start, with a header from Sosa hitting the post in the 4th minute, and their lone goal arriving in the 13th minute when Diarra took a pass from Vahirua and found the back of the net. The pace slowed, with the next opportunity coming in the 36th minute when Amalfitano had his shot denied by Douchez. The equalizer came in the 42nd minute when Danze finished off a free-kick from Marveaux. The second half also saw a slower pace, with Gameiro missing a sitter in the 58th minute and Lorient GK Audard turning away shots from Bangoura twice within a 5-minute span.

Monaco 2-1 Valenciennes – In another even match, the club from the principality needed two late goals to take the victory. In the 3rd minute a free-kick from Haruna slammed into the post, and Monaco thought they had broken through 3 minutes later when Muratori volleyed home a goal only to have it ruled out due to a foul by Park. While Danic shot wide in the 26th minute, it was his free-kick in the 37th minute that found Bisevac for the opening goal. Almost immediately after the restart Nene sent a shot wide, but he would score the equalizer in the 61st minute on a free-kick. The match-winner came in the 78th minute when Maazou took a pass from Haruna and dribbled past Valenciennes defender Angoua to finish clinically.

Sochaux 0-2 Saint-Etienne – Sochaux maintained 61% of the possession and Saint-Etienne took only 6 shots, but Les Verts managed to put 4 of those shots on frame. Ideye drew a save from Saint-Etienne GK Janot after 10 minutes, while on the other end of the pitch Bergessio sent his shot barely wide. Janot was soon very busy, turning away Poujol, Carlao and Martin in a 10-minute stretch in the middle of the first half. The first goal came near the end of the half, with Perrin heading home a corner from Payet in the 42nd minute. Shortly into the second half Butin hit the crossbar with a volley, and Bergessio made Sochaux pay in the 64th minute after he latched onto a poor clearance of a free-kick from Payet. Les Verts then went into a defensive shell and almost rued that decision when Boudebouz and Duplus sent shots barely wide of goal to end the match.

Toulouse 4-0 Grenoble – With this result and that of the Sochaux v Saint-Etienne match, Grenoble were mathematically relegated, and their effort here was a clear example of why as they once again failed to put even a single shot on goal. In the 9th minute a shot from Gignac was pushed out by Grenoble GK Viviani, only to fall to Machado for the easy follow-up. After a shot from Sissoko slammed into the crossbar, Grenoble had their best chance of the match when Betlles sent a shot hurtling toward goal. Unfortunately for him, that shot deflected off Toulouse midfielder Berson and went well wide of the mark. Toulouse should have had a goal in the 51st minute when Sissoko was in 1-on-1 with Viviani, but he missed comically. They wouldn’t have to wait long, however, as a nice back-heel from Machado found Tabanou for the finish in the 65th minute. The latter would have a brace in the 75th minute after a poor clearance fell to him for a relatively easy finish, while Gignac would finish off the scoring in the 85th minute with some good control and clinical finishing.

Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Bordeaux – Les Girondins slipped yet again, this time to a resurgent PSG side that is eager to put their troubles behind them. Although they only held 36% of the possession, the 19 shots (11 on frame) from the club from the capital paid off in a much-needed victory. The sides traded shots within the first 10 minutes, with Erdinq shooting barely wide and a volley from Plasil drawing a save from Edel. In the 19th minute Giuly found the back of the net, but he was correctly ruled offside, and a few minutes later Erdinq elicited a save from Bordeaux GK Rame. Things got interesting in the 31st minute when a poor backpass from Bordeaux defender Ciani was taken by Erdinq, leading to Rame having to handle the ball outside of the area to prevent a goal. Gouffran was sacrificed to bring in back-up GK Keita, but the match had clearly turned against 10-man Bordeaux. Things got worse on the resulting free-kick, which Armand sent directly into the back of the net. Keita acquitted himself well just before the half, tipping a shot from Giuly onto the crossbar, and the former made a great save on a header from Hoarau to open the second half. The 19 year-old backup GK turned Hoarau away again just 1 minute later, but the latter would get his revenge in the 74th minute with a pass that found Erdinq in space for a shot that went in off the crossbar. Sane pulled a goal back for Les Girondins in the 80th minute with a nice header, but the 3 points were secured in the 86th minute when Hoarau finally got his goal off a free-kick from Sessegnon.

Sunday, April 11th:

Lyon 1-1 Lille – As Lille continue to free-fall out of title contention, they took down Les Gones with them in a surprising draw. Despite holding 63% of the possession and taking 23 shots, Lyon needed a late goal to share the points in a match that saw both sides down to 10 men. In the 4th minute Hazard sent a shot wide, while soon after that Delgado shot over the crossbar. Lille continued to pressure, with Frau and Rami drawing saves from Lyon GK Lloris, while on the other end of the pitch Delgado sent yet another shot soaring over the crossbar. Shortly after the restart a shot from Hazard was spilled by Lloris, but Lyon defender Cris was on hand for the clearance. Lille opened the scoring in the 62nd minute when Frau took a pass from Balmont and sent in a shot that deflected off Les Gones midfielder Toulalan. In the 70th minute Costa received his 2nd YC for fouling Gomis, and the resulting free-kick from Kallstrom found Cris for the headed equalizer. However, Lyon were down to 10 men themselves in the 78th minute when Gonalons received his 2nd YC of the match. Lille increased their pressure, but their final opportunity was wasted when Balmont was denied by Lloris in the 88th minute.

Nancy 0-1 Auxerre – Auxerre temporarily moved to the top of the table with his victory that came on a match-winner in the dying moments. There were few opportunities for either side in the first half, with Jelen stopped 1-on-1 by Nancy GK Bracigliano and a shot from Malonga denied by Auxerre GK Sorin. The second half began with a shot from Oliech over the crossbar, while on the other end of the pitch Alo’o Efoulou was turned away by Sorin. Near the hour mark Niculae managed to dribble through half of the Nancy defense, but he was unable to get past Bracigliano. The goal finally came in the 88th minute when a long pass from Pedretti through the midfield found Niculae for the finish. The lead could have been increased just 1 minute later, but Quercia hit the post with his shot.

Marseille 4-1 Nice – L’OM capped off their brilliant week by running Nice off the pitch, although it took them some time to open the scoring. Valbuena drew a save from Nice GK Ospina in the 2nd minute, but the match then slowed into a more deliberate pace. In the 20th minute a shot from Kone took a deflection, requiring an excellent save from Ospina. Nice then began to apply pressure, with Bagayoko shooting wide and a free-kick from Digard drawing a save from Marseille GK Mandanda. The first goal arrived in the 42nd minute when Kone finished off a well-weighted pass from Gonzalez, and Marseille were disappointed to see the break arrive. They began the second half well, with M’bia heading home a corner from Gonzalez in the 52nd minute, but the match then slowed down once again. The destruction continued in the 70th minute when Valbuena took a pass from Gonzalez and executed a good turn for the 3-0 lead. The excellent Lucho Gonzalez earned his 4th assist of the match in the 74th minute when his cross was headed home by Diawara. Nice ruined the Marseille clean sheet in stoppage time when a shot from Fae barely clipped Bagayoko and found the back of the net, drawing disappointed looks from L’OM gaffer Didier Deschamps.

So, after Matchday 32 the top of the table looks like this: (1) Marseille, with 62 points on an 18-8-5 record and a +27 goal differential (with 1 game in hand); (2) Auxerre, with 60 points on a 17-9-6 record and a +7 goal differential; (3) Lyon, with 58 points on a 16-10-6 record and a +19 goal differential; (4) Montpellier, with 58 points on a 17-7-8 record and a +7 goal differential; and (5) Bordeaux, with 56 points on a 17-5-8 record and a +20 goal differential (with 2 games in hand/1 game in hand on Marseille).