Ligue 1: Marseille continues, Rennes recovers, Strasbourg sinks



Marseille won its fourth consecutive victory in Ligue 1 against Montpellier (2-1) despite a failed end to the match on Monday January 2, during the 17e day, while Lille was slowed down by Reims (1-1) and Troyes broke Strasbourg (3-2).

After their great success against Toulouse (6-1) on Thursday, OM confirmed their good post-World Cup form. In the wake of a lackluster first period, Nuno Tavares opened the scoring with his right foot after an effective left hook (46e), then Maxime Estève scored against his side under pressure from Chancel Mbemba (60e). But Tavares made a second hook with his left foot, just as devastating, on… Arnaud Souquet this time, collecting an expected red card (87e), then Pau Lopez offered a penalty to Montpellier – converted by Téji Savanier (90e) – completely missing its exit.

Despite this slump, Igor Tudor’s players won, and still stick, with 36 points, to Lens (40 pts), second behind Paris Saint-Germain (44 pts). Before that, Lille drew against Reims (1-1), when they seemed to have the game in hand.

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Lille hooked by Reims

Enterprising, the Lille opened the scoring through their Canadian striker Jonathan David, ideally placed after a good sequence of another Jonathan, Bamba (32e), but were unable to widen the gap in the score, and a goal from Sweden’s Jens Cadjus (79e), with a deflected shot at the entrance to the penalty area, deprived them of three points.

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“We had several occasions where we could have made the break. We can only blame ourselves ”, summed up the captain of Losc Benjamin André at the microphone of Prime Video after the match. In the standings, Lille fell to 7the place (30 points), while Reims is 11e (21 points, with eight points ahead of the first relegation).

Strasbourg is sinking into crisis,

At the start of the afternoon, Strasbourg started the year 2023 as it had ended 2022: with an infuriating defeat. Beaten on Wednesday by Kylian Mbappé’s Paris Saint-Germain (2-1), author of the victory penalty in the last moments, the Strasbourg players this time conceded two unlucky goals, then came back to score (2-2), before to give in one last time.

Two goals shed light on this meeting: the strike by Strasbourg player Ismaël Doukouré, sublime, floating before hitting the crossbar and then lodging in the skylight (54e), to which the Trojan Xavier Chavalerin responded with a no less superb half-volley after a corner (78e).

This eighth defeat of the season (for a single victory) keeps Strasbourg in penultimate place, four points behind Ajaccio, first non-relegation, while Troyes climbs to 13e position, five points from the red zone. At the end of the match, an explanation took place between players and supporters, frustrated to see their team in bad shape after a successful 2021-2022 season (sixth place).

Rennes punishes Nice

In the evening, Rennes relaunched themselves in the race for the podium by snatching a precious victory against tough Niçois (2-1), but lost their striker Martin Terrier, released on a stretcher and probably absent for a long time. The match got off to an ideal start for the Bretons thanks to the early opener from Martin Terrier (5e), after a shot blocked by Arnaud Kalimuendo. The Rennais believed they had made the break on another goal from Terrier shortly after, but the action was canceled in the confusion for an offside (16e).

And after a first long shot just deflected by Steve Mandanda on the crossbar (10e), Ross Barkley equalized with a superb strike in the top corner (1-1, 21e). A time struck by the injury of Terrier (36e), replaced by Jérémy Doku, the Rennais then resumed their pressing, pushed by a full stadium. We had to wait until the very end of the match to see Flavien Tait, launched by former Niçois Amine Gouiri, serve Bourigeaud, who concluded with the inside of his foot (2-1, 88e).




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