Lille is getting closer to the title. Paris Saint-Germain was held in check (1-1) in Rennes, Sunday, May 9, two days before the outcome of Ligue 1. Monaco is back on the podium and Marseille weakened its fifth place in Europe, when Nîmes s grip, ultra-efficient in Metz (3-0).
PSG lose two points, and possibly the title, in Rennes
Within the top quartet, only PSG punctuated its weekend with a false note by being joined late by Rennes. Leader Lille are three points ahead after their 3-0 victory in Lens on Friday.
The day after his extension until 2025, star striker Neymar put PSG in front with a penalty just before the break (45e+6). But the untenable Serhou Guirassy, initially upset scorer because he was reported out of play (29e) then close to obtaining a penalty (35e), rose in the air on a corner for an equalizer (69e).
“We will believe in it until the end, we will not lose our faith. But at Paris Saint-Germain, you have to do a lot better than that ”, assured Marquinhos, captain of PSG, after the match on Canal +.
They still have to win their last two league games, against Reims and Brest, and hope for a misstep from Lille, against Saint-Etienne and Angers, to catch up and keep the title.
Monaco beats Reims and gets back on the podium
In the rearview mirror, Monaco is approaching dangerously, two points behind after its success in Reims (1-0).
AS Monaco responded to the victory on Saturday of Lyon, their tormentor last weekend, and regained the precious third qualifying place at the end of the season for the lucrative Champions League. Wissam Ben Yedder and his partners have one point more than OL.
The Monegasques quickly gained the upper hand thanks to the young Belgian Eliot Matazo (20e), author at 19 years of his first goal with the club of the principality, after a stint with his captain “WBY”.
This narrow victory comes before two last complicated meetings for ASM, host of Rennes next weekend before a trip on May 23 to Lens.
Marseille stalls in Saint-Etienne
The Lensois looked Sunday at their direct competitor for the 5e place, Marseille, stumble 1-0 to Saint-Etienne. The Phocéens are ahead of the Sang et Or only thanks to a better goal difference.
“You have to be much closer to what you imagine to be a team looking to play Europe”, commented the Argentinian Jorge Sampaoli, arrived in March on the bench of OM and left Forez with a second defeat on the clock, the first in a month and a half.
More solid, better organized, the Greens took the advantage by Arnaud Nordin (43e) before holding the house in particular thanks to the young goalkeeper Etienne Green, saved by a post (56e) and especially by his talent (77e, 84e).
Saint-Etienne is 11e with a point ahead of Angers, future opponent of OM, who dominated 3-0 Dijon, red lantern already relegated.
Nîmes regains hope in Metz
The descent in Ligue 2, Nîmes did everything to avoid it or at least repel it, Sunday with a bang (3-0) in Metz.
Lamine Fomba’s kick (60e), Renaud Rippart’s penalty (67e) and the cold blood of Zinedine Ferhat (89e) brought together the “Crocodiles” two points from Nantes, the virtual play-off, and three from Lorient and Strasbourg, first non-relegation.
“It’s not a relief, just the satisfaction of staying alive. We took three logical points in view of the match but we have a difficult schedule ”, reacted the coach Pascal Plancque, already turned to the reception of Lyon and the trip to Rennes.
Strasbourg in bad shape
Another poorly classified, Strasbourg fell 3-2 at home in front of Montpellier and its triggers Gaëtan Laborde (36e, 50e) and Andy Delort (46e), a setback which puts the Alsatians in a bad position two days from the end of the Championship.
Despite a ” Lack of luck “ especially when returning from the changing rooms, “The boys hung on, we had a lot of actions, an incalculable number of shots… It wasn’t much played out”, commented Racing coach Thierry Laurey.
After a trip to Nice next weekend, its players will welcome Lorient, another team fighting for maintenance, on May 23.
For its part, Nice snatched a rather unexpected victory against Brest (3-2), with a goal scored in the 89e minute, outnumbered and after being led twice to score. The Bretons can harbor regrets and will have to avoid any further relaxation. Nantes is only three points behind.