Ligue 1 Weekend Review

Result of the week to Les Merlus. Let us never speak of this again.

I’m sure that the early start to the Ligue 1 season meant that everyone watched the PSG v. Lorient match on FSC this Saturday?

No? Good, let’s move on.

There were already some surprises in Week 1 as teams didn’t perform up to expectations, although this is likely a function of still getting to know one another. Yes, I’m still talking about PSG.

The result of the week goes to Lorient, who took a 1-0 away victory over…PSG. Sigh.

Saturday, August 6th:

Ajaccio 0-2 Toulouse – The promoted side dominated most of the early proceedings, and were unfortunate to not find the back of the net. The first goal came in the 45th minute (1:00-mark in the video) as Antoine Devaux sent in a header that left Ajaccio netminder Guillermo Ochoa with no chance. The second goal arrived from Paulo Machado in the 73rd minute (2:45-mark in the video), with Ochoa equally helpless. The defenses were battered throughout this match, producing some excellent saves from Ochoa (2:00-mark in the video) and Toulouse GK Ali Ahamada (3:15-mark in the video).

Brest 2-2 Evian – Brest provided almost all of the offensive tempo early, holding 54% of the possession and taking 22 shots (compared to 10 for Evian). However, it was the newcomers who got off to the quicker start as Sidney Govou announced his return with a perfect cross in the 4th minute that Youssef Adnane contrived to send over the crossbar. They were rewarded for their persistence in the 17th minute when Olivier Sorlin blasted an unstoppable volley past Brest GK Steeve Elana (0:08-mark in the video), and the lead was doubled in the 20th minute when Ali Mmadi laughed off the defense of former PSG man Tripy Makonda to find the back of the net (0:34-mark in the video). Brest pulled a goal back in the 39th minute on a spectacular frango, as the free-kick from Bruno Grougi went right through the hands of Evian GK Quentin Westberg (0:54-mark in the video). The equalizer came in the 44th minute when Benoit Lesoimier rippled the net (1:20-mark in the video). Brest continued to push forward after the half (check out the attempted bicycle kick at 2:10 in the video), but Westberg redeemed himself for his earlier mistake by keeping out the efforts of Nolan Roux (who earned himself a YC in the 29th as he is seemingly still cranky at not having been given his transfer) and Grougi. The save of the match was made by Brest GK Elana in the 85th minute during a goalmouth scramble, as he managed to kung-fu kick (Cantona!) a bundled shot (2:50-mark in the video; seriously, check it out).

Caen 1-0 Valenciennes – This match was fairly even, and it took a bit of magnificence to settle things. Caen, tipped to struggle this season, came out more brightly and found the match-winner in the 34th with a blistering shot from Gregory Proment that found the top-right corner from over 30 yards out (0:50-mark in the video). Valenciennes upped their pressure, forcing two excellent saves from Caen GK Alexis Thebaux (1:20-mark in the video), but Valenciennes GK Nicolas Penneteau was his equal in keeping out a late header from Remi Gomis by the slightest touch of his fingers (1:50-mark in the video).

Marseille 2-2 Sochaux – In what proved to be the best match of the weekend, Les Phoceens and Les Lionceaux provided plenty of fireworks in a clean, well-contested encounter. Sochaux were quickly on the back foot as Marseille strode forward in numbers, with GK Teddy Richert called upon to deny Loic Remy and Andre Ayew. The opening goal came on a wonderful run through the midfield in the 38th minute from new signing Alou Diarra, as the French captain found Remy racing down the right. When the latter cut back to the left, his shot was blocked only to fall at the feet of Lucho Gonzalez, who lashed home a wonderful volley (1:30-mark in the video). The equalizer came in the 58th minute when a run down the left from Sebastien Corchia resulted in a cross to the far post which Marvin Martin sent home on a half-volley (4:00-mark in the video). The tide seemed turned in the 70th minute when a cross from Ryad Boudebouz saw Vincent Nogueira find the back of the net with a powerful shot (5:20-mark in the video). That euphoria didn’t last long, as the 74th minute found Remy heading home the corner from Mathieu Valbuena for the equalizer (6:00-mark in the video). This match had a little bit of everything, with fantastic offense as well as goalkeeping on display. Do yourself a favor and watch the full 7-minute highlights.

Montpellier 3-1 Auxerre – Les Auxerrois started far more quickly, but it was Montpellier who opened the scoring in the 36th minute when the effort from Younes Belhanda saw a fantastic frango from 18 year-old Auxerre GK Donovan Leon (0:40-mark in the video). The equalizer came right before the break on an incredible long-range effort from Alain Traore (1:00-mark in the video), but the second stanza saw Montpellier demonstrating the chops that lead them back to Ligue 1 just two years ago. The next goal came on a beautiful curling effort from Geoffrey Dernis in the 75th minute (1:35-mark in the video), while the final goal came in stoppage-time as Olivier Giroud slid his effort underneath the despairing Leon (2:25-mark in the video).

Nancy 1-1 Lille – Les Dogues held 72% of the possession and took three times as many shots as Nancy, but in the end the title-holders were undone by a bit of misfortune. The opening goal came on a nice effort from Mathieu Debuchy in the 47th minute (1:10-mark in the video), but they were pegged back in the 61st minute when a corner was headed home by Franck Beria…who was defending at the time, for a nice OG (2:00-mark in the video).

Nice 1-3 Lyon – Nice pushed forward from the outset (they were caught offsides 7 times, compared to none for Lyon), and were rewarded early with a 6th minute goal from Anthony Mounier (0:10-mark in the video). After that point, however, Les Gones woke up and decided to send a message to the rest of Ligue 1. The equalizer came in the 10th minute on a fantastic effort from Lisandro Lopez, who sent home a ball over the top with a well-struck (and possibly very lucky) one-time effort (0:45-mark in the video). The next goal came in the 33rd minute when Nice GK David Ospina was unable to hold onto a hard shot and Bafetimbi Gomis found the back of the net during a goalmouth scramble on the ensuing corner kick (1:35-mark in the video). Kept at bay throughout by fantastic work from Lyon GK Lloris, Nice found themselves completely undone in the 74th minute when Maxime Gonalons pounced on yet another loose ball in the area (3:05-mark in the video).

Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Lorient – I don’t want to talk about it. Alright, alright. Les Parisiens were shown to an embarrassing home defeat by Les Merlus, thanks in large part to the excellent display from Yann Jouffre, who ran Mamadou Sakho and Siaka Tiene ragged. Although PSG looked more threatening (54% of the possession; 13 shots, compared to 8 for Lorient) and played more physically (20 fouls committed, to just 9 for Lorient), their efforts were for naught as they came in a disjointed display. Milan Bisevac looked uneasy in the back, although that may have stemmed from the fact that Sakho had a nightmare of a match. Blaise Matuidi, for his part, seemed unable to marshal the defense through the midfield, and going forward he was virtually invisible for large portions of the proceedings. The only new signings who justified their price tags were Jeremy Menez and Kevin Gameiro, but neither were able to do much in the face of the poor play of their teammates. The lone goal of the match came in the 28th minute when a free-kick from Jouffre (on a foul by Sakho) found an unattended Julien Quercia (left alone by Tiene) for the easy finish at the far post (0:00-mark in the video). PSG looked uncertain for the remainder of the match, and they never appeared in danger of finding the equalizer.

Sunday, August 7th:

Dijon 1-5 Rennes – Although fairly even statistically (to the point that both sides missed a PK), it was clear on the pitch that Dijon were severely outmatched. Victor Hugo Montano and Julien Feret were in fine form as they took Rennes to an early lead with goals in the 34th (0:00-mark in the video) and 36th (0:55-mark in the video) minutes, respectively. Brice Jovial gave Dijon some brief hope with his header in first-half stoppage-time (1:45-mark in the video), but that was quickly extinguished by a goal from Abdoulrazak Boukari in the 50th minute (2:35-mark in the video). The romp continued unabated, with Kadar Mangane (75th minute; 3:30-mark in the video) and Alexander Tetty (85th minute; 4:20-mark in the video) finishing off the scoring.

Bordeaux 1-2 Saint-Etienne – Les Girondins looked to be the more dominant side, but in the end their season got off to a start with the kind of result that saw Jean Tigana find the door before last season even ended. The opening goal came in the 18th minute when Bakary Sako made Mathieu Chalme look foolish near the touchline, with his attempted cross turned in by Mickael Ciani for an OG (0:00-mark in the video). The shenanigans continued in the 31st minute when a cross-turned-shot from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left Bordeaux GK Cedric Carrasso rooted as he watched the ball drift in off the far post. Bordeaux were briefly provided with some hope in the 56th minute when Sylvain Marchal brought down Anthony Modeste in the box, with Jussie finishing off the resulting PK, but the remainder of the match belonged to the netminders, as both Carrasso and Saint-Etienne GK Stephane Ruffier produced some excellent saves.

So, after Matchday 1 we have:

Top 4 – (1) Rennes; (2) Montpellier; (3) Lyon; (4) Toulouse
GSTGC Award – Marvin Martin (Sochaux)
Correct Friday preview results predictions – 2 out of 5 (Lyon win v. Nice; Rennes win v. Dijon)
Correct Friday preview scores predictions – 1 out of 5 (Lyon 3-1 Nice)