Find the Tops and Flops of the sports weekend awarded by the sports editorial staff of Le Figaro.
TOPS
The Blues of biathlon shine at home
Quentin Fillon-Maillet then Emilien Jacquelin in turn delighted the public of Grand-Bornand this weekend. The first city first brilliantly won the pursuit (12.5 km) on Saturday to seize the lead of the general classification of the Biathlon World Cup … which he was dispossessed this Sunday by Jacquelin, who preceded his friend during the mass-start to sign his first success of the season. In the girls’ category, Julia Simon had a resounding wake-up call by taking second place in the pursuit on Saturday after a complicated start to the season.
Read alsoBiathlon: Emilien Jacquelin untouchable in the Grand-Bornand mass start
The magic of the Cup
The antiphon still has a bright future ahead of it. The tradition of exploits has this year been brought forward to before Christmas, the fault of an earlier entry into the lists of L1 clubs in the Coupe de France. But the tradition of exploits has been respected, from Linas Montlhéry (N3), striker from Angers (2-0) to Bergerac (N2), winner of Metz on penalties. Two teams inspired by the success there too at the penalties of the historic AS Cannes (N2) at the expense of Dijon (L2). At the end of a session as interminable as it is historic, Dinan Léhon (N3) almost achieved such a feat against Brest (12-13 in the tabs). On the other hand, the epic of the Mahorais of the Twins of Mzouazia, the first club to come from Mayotte at this stage of the competition, came to an abrupt end in Bordeaux (10-0).
Read alsoCoupe de France: a player from Cannet-Rocheville asked his partner in marriage at the Vélodrome
No bad joke for OM
Accustomed to industrial accidents from the outset against amateurs in recent years (Andrézieux, Canet-en-Roussillon), OM has this time the work not without a bit of fear against Cannet-Rocheville (4-1). In a Velodrome half-filled, the “false premises” even opened the scoring before then folding after a double penalty leading to the first of three achievements of Arkadiusz Milik, who took advantage of this meeting to revive. Reduced to ten, the residents of N3 only suffered the waves of Olympians who this time avoided the bad joke, as they will try to do in the round of 16 against Chauvigny (N2).
Read alsoCoupe de France: PSG and OM against N2 and a derby from the North on the menu for the round of 16
FLOPS
Les Bleues du hand crucified in the final
The end of the blue dream. Launched on the path of a historic double JO-World Cup, the Bleues du hand were brought back to reality by Norway, which won a fourth world crown after its demonstration in the final of the 2021 World (29-22). The Olympic champions of Tokyo had yet taken the meeting by the good end before collapsing on the return of the locker room, cashing a scathing 17-6 in the second half. As at Euro 2020, almost a year ago to the day, the Blue stumble on the last step of an international tournament against the Norwegians, who assume their status as the best handball players in the world.
Read alsoTops / Flops France-Norway: Solberg disgusted them, the Blue gave up
PFC-OL: new sad scandal for French football
While everything led to believe that this Paris FC-OL, counting for the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France, did not constitute a major risk, the evening turned into a nightmare again at the Stade Charléty, where the meeting was interrupted at half-time (1-1). The regrettable passing of arms between Presidents Aulas and Ferracci will only have contributed to adding a piece to the ambient cacophony around the problem of violence in the stadiums. The FFF has promised to crack down and could throw OL a little more into turmoil, a month after the sad events of OL-OM …
Read alsoViolent supporters, Aulas criticized, results at half mast … the half-season in hell for Olympique Lyonnais
New series postponements in the Champions Cup
We thought we were done with the multiple postponements of matches that had disrupted the Champions Cup calendar, but now the Omicron variant has once again played the spoiler. Thus, only Castres, defeated with honors on the lawn of Munster (19-13), was able to play his match against a British formation this weekend. For their part, Stade Rochelais, Racing, Clermont, UBB, Stade Toulousain and Stade Français were forced to rest due to the resurgence of the pandemic.
Leeds coule
Eleven goals conceded in two matches. This is the (very) grim record of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United last week. And neither the opponents in full flurry (Manchester City, 7-0 and Arsenal, 1-4) nor the absences are enough to explain the decay of the exciting promoted from last season. The specter of Bielsa’s season too much haunts the stands of Elland Road, where the Argentinian, who for the first time sprained his three-year rule on a bench, is yet worshiped. But the limits of his method are reflected in the field as well as in the standings (16e) and the Peacocks do not seem able to straighten the bar anytime soon, especially as a trip to Liverpool for Boxing Day looms on the horizon …
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