French Ligue 1 week 16 wrap up

By Shai Mamou

LILLE’S OFFENSIVE STYLE PAYS OFF

Lille-Lorient: 6-3

Clearly, this game between Lille and Lorient has been the most spectacular of the season so far. Sometimes, when two teams with offensive styles meet, the fans are disappointed and don’t get what they expected. Sunday afternoon, any people who paid a ticket to go to the Stadium of Villeneuve d’Ascq had a great time. The first goal was for Lorient, thanks to another great performance of their striker Kevin Gameiro, a fresh member in the national team. The former Strasbourg player scored twice in this game (7′ and 45) and has nothing to regret. But Lille can count of the top scorer in Ligue 1 this year. Recruited free from Rennes, Moussa Sow is undeniably the best bargain of the summer. With three goals (11′, 49′ and 82′), the Senegalese brought his total to 13 whereas there are three games left before the winter break! Gervinho, the wizard from Ivory Coast (58′) and the substitute Frau (88′) emphasized the success of their team. If Hazard didn’t score, he was once again unstoppable and leaded his team with panache. For the anecdote, the promising Kitambala was the third scorer for Lorient (57′). Thanks to the loss of Marseille at Nice, Lille take the lead and send a convincing message to all of their rivals in Ligue 1 championship.

PSG-Brest: 3-1

If many of the observers thought Brest was a team able to disturb the confident team of Paris, they were wrong. Well, if Nolan Roux tied the game (54′) after the initial goal of the essential Nenê (9′), the Parisians were the best on the pitch and confirmed their ambitions. Five minutes only after Roux’s goal, Mathieu Bodmer came out of his box to tackle the ball in the nets after a head pass of Hoarau (59′). Pushing hard, the players of Antoine Kombouare were awarded by a third goal of the stainless Giuly who won his face to face with Elana (77′). Paris plays better and better and can almost be worried of the proximity of the winter break. Actually it is frequent that teams in a rush are stopped and disturbed by this game-free period… But until there, Paris are 2nd in the rankings…

Nice-Marseille: 1-0

Ouch! Without conceding a single opportunity, Marseille lost versus a weak side of Nice. Coming out of their fortress in the last minutes of the game, the guys of Eric Roy stabbed their neighbours on a counter-attack finalized by Emerse Faé (93′). Before that, Marseille had clearly imposed their tempo but had also clearly lacked of creativity and realism in the last meters. Actually, all of them were disappointing but Valbuena. “Little bike” tried his best to lead his partners but was really alone… Lucho was not in the form of his life, Brandao was courageous but still poor technically and the others did not manage to raise their level to beat a team gathered in its last meters. Marseille have to find a balance quickly if they don’t want to see Lille and Paris, without forgetting Lyon, take a too important lead before the break…

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Toulouse-Caen: 1-0

Lens-Auxerre: 1-1

Arles-Avignon-Nancy: 1-1

Rennes-Monaco: 1-0

Sochaux-Valenciennes: 2-1

Saint-Etienne-Bordeaux: 2-2

Montpellier-Lyon: 1-2