clash between Lyon and Monaco, Marseille on the relaunch
In search of a second wind: the shock of the 10th day of Ligue 1 encountered Saturday in Lyon and Monaco, eager to move up the standings, just like Marseille, which hopes to erase its recent poor performance on Sunday against Lorient
Poster: Lyon – Monaco
OL and ASM, who face each other on Saturday evening (9 p.m.), share the ambition to qualify for the Champions League next season. But today, the two clubs are not in the expected classification. The Monegasques (6th, 14 pts) were a failed start to the season, but their streak of three consecutive league wins, with three goals scored in each game, promises them a better fall. “We are moving step by step,” says coach Niko Kovac. Another element of optimism: the dynamic of Aurélien Tchouaméni, who shone with the Blues during the truce and won the trophy of the League of Nations.
The Lyonnais Léo Dubois, also participated in the victorious campaign of the France team. But with his club, the results are more mixed, as evidenced by the last draw in Saint-Etienne (1-1). OL (10th, 13 pts) must quickly get back to winning, before going on a difficult streak (Nice, Lens, Rennes, Marseille) which will say a lot about their level. Against Monaco, it will be without his titular goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, who received a red card from the Greens.
The player: Renato Sanches
Finally good news in Lille (8th, 14 pts) which, after a sluggish start to the season, is increasingly assuming its status as champion. Le Losc remains on three consecutive successes, including a last against Marseille (2-0), before the truce. That evening, coach Jocelyn Gourvennec brought in Renato Sanches, injured in a knee since mid-August. The return of the Portuguese international, one of the strongmen of the title last season, after two months of absence, gives an additional reason to hope, on the Losc side, to continue on this good dynamic, at the promoted Clermont on Saturday ( 17 hours).
” He is fine. He made the 15 days (of truce) with the group, ”said Thursday the technician northerner, who may have to spare his Canadian striker Jonathan David, returning from a distant trip to the selection. This one is rather expected against Sevilla, Wednesday in the Champions League, a decisive match for the European future of Lille.
The number: 26
Since its success against Rennes (2-0) on September 19, 26 days have passed until the reception of Lorient on Sunday (8:45 p.m.), without Marseille having won a single match. Conclusion: a draw and two defeats in L1, plus two other draws in the Europa League, which dropped OM (5th, 14 pts with one game less) from the podium. Faced with the Merlus, for the first match at the Vélodrome since the death of the former club president Bernard Tapie, Marseille must revive, especially as its schedule will get tough, with Lazio Rome, Paris SG and Nice in the 10 days after.
The return of Dimitri Payet, absent in Lille because of a calf, and scorer Arkadiusz Milik, who has recovered from a long knee injury, maintains the hope of OM, which will have to do without the Turkish Cengiz Sous, suspended.
Day 10 program
Friday : Paris SG – Angers (9 p.m.)
Saturday : Clermont – Lille (5 p.m.); Lyon – Monaco (9 p.m.)
Sunday : Troyes – Nice (1 p.m.); Bordeaux – Nantes, Brest – Reims, Metz – Rennes, Strasbourg – Saint-Etienne (3 p.m.); Montpellier – Lens (5 p.m.); Marseille – Lorient (8:45 p.m.)