It was, this Thursday, evening of European Cups all over the continent, in the Europa League and in the Europa League Conference. The French clubs experienced varying fortunes there on this 5th and penultimate day.
Rennes got scuttled
In Turkey, the Breton club, already qualified, had a three-goal lead then was caught at the very end of the match by Fenerbahçe in the Europa League (3-3).
Held in check (2-2) on the wire in the first leg at Roazhon Park, the Rennais did not drag things to clear things up. It only takes five minutes for Amine Gouiri to open the scoring, soon followed by Martin Terrier (0-2, 16th). At the half hour, Gouiri scored his 7th goal of the season, then Valencia reduced the mark just before the break. The game is balanced and the current 4th in Ligue 1 is slowly heading towards his 7th consecutive success in all competitions.
The Turks come back to a length on a free kick ten minutes from the end. They grow in an atmosphere of fire and see their efforts rewarded. The first place will therefore be decided between these two during the last day, next Thursday. Rennes will receive the Cypriots of Larnaca. “It’s professional misconduct not to have won today, plague Benjamin Bourigeaud at the microphone of RMC Sport. We are fools, 3-0 away, we have to close the shop. Frankly, we have no right…”
Another downside: the exit on injury in the 52nd minute of Steve Mandanda, hit on a shock and remained on his bench in the second half. « He felt a small pain in the adductor, on the top of the thigh. So we preferred not to take any risks, ”says Bruno Genesio without seeming too worried for his goalkeeper. The 2018 world champion is therefore experiencing an alert less than a month before the start of the World Cup in Qatar (November 20 – December 18). With the recent injury of Mike Maignan, very uncertain for the World Cup, Mandanda has a real chance of being one of the three goalkeepers to be summoned by the coach.
monaco already cru
After the slap (0-4) suffered at Trabzonspor, the Monegasques had to react to get back in the race for qualification. On the lawn of Ferencvaros, they are forced to share the points (1-1). However, they believed in it for a long time after the opener with a malicious backheel in the middle of the race from their captain, Wissam Ben Yedder, well served by Axel Disasi (31st).
Just before returning to the locker room, Vanderson, the Brazilian side of Monaco, is forced to leave the lawn prematurely. Monaco must reorganize and struggle to contain the impulses of the Hungarians, who are pushing to return to the scoreboard. Less than ten minutes from the final whistle, Zachariassen releases his team and qualifies his team. One day before the end of the group matches, ASM is 2nd with a one-point lead over Trabzonspor and Red Star Belgrade, who will come to the Louis II stadium next Thursday.
Nantes can still dream
It was the last chance match for Antoine Kombouaré’s Nantes team. Any other result than a victory against the Azerbaijanis of Karabakh put an end to their hopes of qualification. A goal in stoppage time from Ignacius Ganago, who scored last weekend against Nice and who had just come into play, allows them to still believe it (2-1).
Strolled in the first leg (0-3), the Canaries struggled at the start of the game but quickly saw their horizon widen, when Ludovic Blas took advantage of a completely failed clearance from the opposing goalkeeper (1-0, 17th). Returning from the locker room, Karabagh inherits a penalty generously awarded by the referee when his striker comes up against Alban Lafont (1-1, 55th).
Nantes pushes in the last ten minutes. Mostafa Mohamed is on the verge of scoring the goal of the evening but his stolen chest sequence grazes the opposing cage. Until Ganago’s stroke of genius: “It’s something exceptional, says the saving striker at the microphone of W9. I could hear the supporters and I just wanted to score on entering. “We must now conclude on the ground of Olympiakos in a week.
Nice takes over
In the Europa League Conference, the Aiglons did a great job by dominating Partizan Belgrade (2-1). Without a win for three games, Lucien Favre’s men have found their colors. Deprived in particular of Andy Delort and Jean-Clair Todibo, the Nice coach was able to count on Nicolas Pépé (29th). Gaëtan Laborde then finds the Serbian post, then Nice is joined before regaining the advantage three minutes later by Mario Lemina (2-1, 77th). The Niçois take control of group D, tied on points with their one-night opponent. As for Rennes, everything will be decided on the final day, when Nice will visit Cologne.
