Posted16 October 2021, 23:25
Lyon recovered by beating Monaco (2-0), doubling its opponent in the standings, Saturday for the 10th day of Ligue 1. Lille stopped its comeback in Clermont.
Lyon striker Karl Toko Ekambi (L) fights for the ball with Monaco’s Portuguese midfielder Gelson Martins (R) at Decines-Charpieu.
AFP
Things are better at OL, winner of a competitor for the podium in a spectacular match. But the two German goalkeepers, Julian Pollersbeck (OL) and Alexander Nübel (ASM), stopped everything for a long time. Then the entry of Lucas Paqueta (67th), at the same time as the exit of Xherdan Shaqiri, changed the match.
A penalty from Karl Toko-Ekambi (74th), and a goal from Jason Denayer (89th) allowed the Lyonnais to overcome the ASM and return to the top (5th, 16 pts), after two consecutive draws. Above all, Peter Bosz’s players deserved the victory by always looking to attack, as their coach asks them.
Lyon got in good shape before visiting Sparta Prague on Thursday to continue their clear round in the Europa League (two matches, two wins).
For Monaco, who face PSV Eindhoven on Thursday in the Europa League, the stop is abrupt after three straight wins with three goals scored each time. Wissam Ben Yedder’s partners fall back to 7th place, two lengths from Lyon, pending Sunday’s matches.
The brake is even sharper for the champion of France, stopped him at a promoted, and not a European club.
Lille “has hit rock bottom”
Losc did not prepare well for its double confrontation against Sevilla FC, visiting Pierre-Mauroy on Wednesday for the third day of the Champions League.
“We hit rock bottom, we were very bad,” even thundered the president of Losc, Olivier Létang, at the microphone of Prime Video. The leader pointed to the “individual and collective poverty” of his team, which could not, Saturday, “claim anything at the high level”.
Lille had yet started a series before the international break, with three consecutive victories which had revived, after a failed start to the season. But the relapse is worrying, especially for the poverty of the proposed game. “We have to come back very quickly on Wednesday, we are waiting for a reaction,” concluded Létang.
Paris Saint-Germain far ahead after its victory against Angers (2-1), several clubs are fighting for the podium on Sunday. Lens, 2nd at nine lengths from PSG, goes to Montpellier (5:00 p.m.), and Nice (3rd), to Troyes (1:00 p.m.).
To return to the podium or get closer to it, Marseille (6th) and Lorient (8th), two points from Nice and four from Lens, face off at the Vélodrome (9:00 p.m.), which will pay a final tribute to Bernard Tapie, the President disappeared after OM’s victory in the Champions League in 1993.
The Merlus, undefeated since August 22, are on the rise, facing the Marseillais who remain on two defeats.
(AFP)
