Troyes, Rennes and Nantes are the winners of the multiplex of the 27th day of Ligue 1 this Sunday.
Saint-Étienne beat Metz (1-0) and Troyes won at Bordeaux (2-0), emerging victorious from the clashes between the last four in Ligue 1 who were tied before this 27th day on Sunday. At the top of the standings, Rennes (4th) dominated Angers (2-0) and put pressure on Olympique de Marseille (3rd), which hosts Monaco in the evening (8:45 p.m.).
After Nice’s victory against Paris SG (1-0) on Saturday, OM’s place on the podium is threatened by the Bretons. Beaten by Clermont and held in check at Troyes, the Marseillais need to interrupt their bad series.
But the biggest stake in Sunday afternoon’s matches was the bottom of the standings. The four “dunces”, in the words of Pascal Dupraz, the coach of the “Greens”, all had 22 points before facing each other two by two. Saint-Étienne signed his fourth success in L1 since the arrival of the Savoyard technician on the bench, a victory celebrated as a qualification for the European Cup by a full Cauldron.
A half-volley from Denis Bouanga, completely lying down to score – he even slipped – was enough to beat the Messins. “We know how to win matches, we know how to keep a score, we hope it will continue like thisSatisfied the striker, at the microphone of Prime Video.
The last Girondins
Estac also knows how to win and hold on, after overcoming OM at the last minute (1-1). Troyes had not had a single penalty in their favor this season, two were whistled in the same match.
If the first was badly shot by Mama Baldé, the Bissau-Guinean striker was lucky: Gaëtan Poussin stopped his shot, but the ball rolled under his body and the goalkeeper sent the ball into the goal himself with an unfortunate kick. Baldé had been silent since the 11th day, but the drought of Lebo Mothiba, who converted the second penalty, was much longer. Injured for a year and a half, the South African had not scored in L1 since December 2019!
Troyes (16th) and Saint-Étienne (17th) therefore take three steps ahead of their victims and plunge back Lorient, corrected Friday by Lyon (4-1), in place of roadblocker (18th). The Girondins remain last.
At the top of the ranking, the good operations are a little further west. Rennes beat the SCO (2-0), thanks to a volley from Benjamin Bourigaud resembling that of the Portuguese Jordao against France at Euro-1984, which hit the ground before lobbing the goalkeeper, and an achievement of his best scorer, Gaëtan Laborde, his 14th in L1.
Nantes (6th) beat Montpellier (2-0) on the heels of their qualification for the final of the Coupe de France. In the East, Strasbourg (5th) only took one point from Reims (1-1), the Swedish Champagne rookie Jens Cadjus equalizing … from the knee (84th) after the magnificent goal of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde ( 69th). Lille (9th) can return to this race for Europe if it beats Clermont (5:05 p.m.).
