Monaco flies away, Bordeaux seizes up
Unstoppable AS Monaco climbed to 4th place in Ligue 1 by dominating 1-0 Nice, a competitor for Europe, on Wednesday in a terribly frustrating 33rd day for penultimate Bordeaux, suspended 2-2 by Saint-Etienne.
– Race to Europe: Monaco’s good shot –
The Monegasques have chained a fifth success in a row over the month sold with, again, a “big” of the championship retained in their table of draw. After Paris SG and Rennes, Nice suffered the law of Wissam Ben Yedder’s partners.
Russian striker Aleksandr Golovin, already a scorer in the first leg, exploited a center from Vanderson repelled by Walter Benitez (45th + 2) to make the difference just before half-time.
This minimalist victory to the sufficient happiness of Monaco which doubles Nice in the standings and is assured, regardless of the result to come between Strasbourg and Rennes, of occupying its best place of the season on the broadcast of the 33rd day.
The podium objective has lead in the wing on the other hand on the side of the Aiglons of Nice who, before their narrow 2-1 victory against Lorient on Sunday, remained four games without a win.
In the evening, Marseille will try to consolidate its second place on the occasion of the reception of FC Nantes. Conversely, a poor performance by OM could allow Paris SG to win the French championship.
Before the meeting, Jorge Sampaoli’s men had a three-point lead over Rennes and six over Strasbourg, two teams which are facing each other at the same time in Alsace.
Lens and Lyon, which are taking place in the standings, have two important meetings on their side if they want to keep a chance of grabbing a European place: the Bloods and or receive Montpellier, OL travel to Brest.
– Struggle to maintain: Bordeaux still cracked –
For Bordeaux, the 2-2 draw at home against Saint-Etienne has a bitter taste, even a taste of defeat.
The Girondins had paved the way for a more than precious success in the quest to maintain, thanks to Sékou Mara (16th, 1-0) and Jean Onana (23rd, 2-0), but the Greens caught up with Denis Bouanga (34th, 2-1) – son of the 5th but in 8 matches – and Arnaud Nordin (65th, 2-2).
Above all, they thought they had pocketed their sixth victory of the season with a goal from Dean Jimmy Briand (36) scored in the 89th minute. But the video assistance was detected out of play and weighed down the atmosphere of the Matmut Atlantique.
Bordeaux remains penultimate with four points behind Saint-Etienne, now in a play-off position and which is advancing towards three complicated meetings (against Monaco, Rennes and Nice).
The Metz red lantern also had a sad evening, beaten 1-0 in Lorient with a goal scored in added time by Dango Ouattara (90th + 6). The VAR was also activated, but the realization of the Burkinabé was validated.
For the people of Lorraine, the maintenance operation seems to have been compromised. The first non-relegation player, Clermont, has an eight-point lead five days from the end.
The Auvergnats won 1-0 in Troyes, also in the last moments of the match, thanks to Mohamed Bayo (88th).
The locals demanded a penalty in added time, without getting it, which provoked the fury of some of their supporters. Projectiles were thrown at Clermont goalkeeper Ouparine Djoco.
The fate of the match also tipped over the gong in Reims, 2-1 winner of Lille with a liberating but from its captain Yunis Abdelhamid in the 92nd minute.
The maintenance seems assured for the team of Oscar Garcia, twelfth. LOSC, reigning French champions, are ninth.