winner of Nice, Lille resists pressure from PSG, and remains leader

The crossover continues! From a distance, Lille and PSG surrender in quick succession and maintain a fantastic suspense three days from the end of the championship, while Monaco is also still in the race for the title.

A week after its stunning success in Lyon (3-2), Losc did not tremble at home to win, Saturday 1er May evening, against Nice (2-0) and recover his leader’s chair in Ligue 1, after having ceded it for only a few hours to PSG, winner a little earlier from Lens, at the Parc des Princes (2-1) for the 35e championship day.

Christophe Galtier’s players have therefore taken back control of the championship with 76 points, one more than PSG. And they thus put pressure on Monaco (71 points), which receives Lyon (4e, 67 pts) Sunday evening.

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  • Lille, strong like the Turks Yilmaz and Celik

Lille dominated Nice, like its captain Fonte (red jersey), Saturday May 1, at Villenveuce d'Ascq.

Lille, which had been struggling in its lair for several weeks – three draws and one defeat – found the path to victory at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium at the best time.

Galvanized perhaps by the warm welcome of smoke and the chants of several hundred supporters, the Lille took care of their start to the match and quickly suffocated the Niçois, who had great difficulty getting out of the opposing pressing. On their first opportunity, the Mastiffs were rewarded: on the left, Reinildo escaped two opponents before serving in the box Jonathan David, who put back to the Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz, whose strike with the flat of the foot of the twenty meters deceived Walter Benitez (1-0, 13e).

The captain of the Turkish selection, author of a formidable performance last weekend in Lyon, placed Losc on the path to victory with his thirteenth goal of the season in the league. And he could even have afforded a double after the break, lacking success on a post (64e).

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After a timid reaction from the Aiglons, unable to really worry the most impermeable defense of L1 (22 goals conceded), the Lille increased their grip on the meeting, especially as Nice found itself outnumbered after the exclusion for a second warning from Jordan Lotomba. Shortly after, the Mastiffs took the opportunity to take shelter thanks to another Turkish player, the side Celik: after a cross from Reinildo badly repelled, the international unleashed an unstoppable volley (2-0, 56e).

Lille then quietly managed the end of the match against Nice people unable to make the slightest shot throughout the game. “We continue the war, we continue until the end. There are three difficult matches left, we have to keep fighting ”, warned Captain José Fonte at the microphone of Canal +.

Lille have control of their destiny, but the next meeting promises to be electric, Friday, on the lawn of Lens, the great regional rival.

  • PSG looks up before finding Manchester City

Neymar led PSG to victory against Lens (2-1), Saturday May 1, at the Parc des Princes.

Paris-Saint-Germain fulfilled two objectives on their side by beating, precisely, Lens: he remains in the wake of the Lille leader, and he raises his head before the hoped-for revenge against Manchester City, on Tuesday, in the semi-final second leg. Champions League, after losing 2-1 in the first leg.

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For the first time since the arrival in January of Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, the capital club have chained four straight wins in L1. But the impression given by this team, deprived against Lens of its top scorer Kylian Mbappé, affected in a calf, does not confirm the regain of form suggested by this series.

Paris did not shine, and it took a lensois gift and a set piece to get by. Neymar opened the scoring following a huge ball loss from Facundo Medina (1-0, 33e), – his first goal in Ligue 1 since January 31 -, before Marquinhos made the break with a header from a corner (2-0, 59e).

The reduction of the gap by the Lensois, in the wake of this second goal, by Ignatius Ganago (2-1, 61e) has said a lot about the feverishness of the Parisians who, decidedly, are afraid of each match. “We have suffered, but we must know how to suffer. The most important thing is that we have remained united “, relished the defender Presnel Kimpembe, at the microphone of Canal +.

In the end, PSG won, its executives were not injured, and his dream of a treble in May (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Champions League) is still relevant. Beating Lens made it possible to evacuate “The feeling born of this defeat” against the Mancuniens, explained Pochettino, who saw the support of around 200 supporters when arriving by coach at the stadium.

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The technician made six changes in his eleven from the one that started three days earlier, with Marco Verratti and Angel Di Maria on the bench. At the same time, his City counterpart, Pep Guardiola, made eight, during the victory on the field of Crystal Palace (2-0), even allowing himself the luxury of leaving on the bench his stars Kevin de Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez.

Not having this room for maneuver, Pochettino established Neymar which is a game plan in itself, when he is also hard-hitting. The Brazilian ended the game with a goal and an assist. If he maintains his level and concentration, and Kylian Mbappé is well recovered on Tuesday, PSG will have the weapons to achieve the feat in England, and go and win a second consecutive Champions League final.

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