PSG Bounce Back Against Lorient: Winners and Losers from Week 12 in Ligue 1
It has been another interesting and intriguing weekend in Ligue 1. No one in the top nine positions lost, and Guingamp was the only team in the bottom half to pick up all three points.
That means we go into next week's Le Classique game between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain with only four points separating the top two. That is amazing in itself, as at one point it could have potentially been a 10-point gap at the top.
"5 - @OM_Officiel have won five league games in a row at the Vélodrome, their best run since 2009/10. Fortress.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 2, 2014"
Outside of the top two, there was a great win for Lyon, they are in the fight for the Champions League places, as are Bordeaux after their win against Toulouse. This is easily one of the best battles in the top four we have seen for years.
We were blessed with 27 goals this weekend, the now mandatory red cards, two this weekend and drama and goals all over France.
Here are more winners and losers from Week 12 in Ligue 1.
Winners: Modibo Maiga
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While on loan at West Ham United, it's fair to say that Modibo Maiga wasn't a fan-favourite. Over 31 appearances, the Malian striker only scored three times, with a loan spell at Queen's Park Rangers only adding one goal to his tally in England.
The 27-year-old striker moved on loan to FC Metz this summer and on Saturday evening, after finally finding his fitness, he scored his first goals for the club.
It was Maiga that gave Metz a 2-0 lead at home to SM Caen, and it would prove vital. The away side came back and levelled the game at 2-2 and Metz had to rely on Florent Malouda's late penalty to win all three points.
"2717 – Florent Malouda has scored his first Ligue 1 goal since the 26th May 2007 with Lyon v Nantes, for a total of 2717 days. Return.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 1, 2014"
However, without Maiga's first half contribution, Metz would have struggled to take anything from the game.
Albert Cartier's side had gone three games without a win and the three points takes them up to eighth in the league. It is a great position for a team that was just looking to stay up this season.
Maiga looks more comfortable in Metz. He scored 24 goals in two seasons at FC Sochaux.
"2 - Modibo Maiga has scored his first brace in Ligue 1 since October 2011, with Sochaux v Toulouse. Trance.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 1, 2014"
Now he is back playing regularly, Cartier will hope that we will once again see the best of Maiga.
Losers: AS Monaco
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Friday night was supposed to be the game were Monaco took another step closer to the teams at the top of Ligue 1, but failure to find a second goal against Stade de Reims cost Leandro Jardim's side.
Elderson Echiejile opened the scoring for the home side after he finished expertly at the back post after a very good team move from ASM. However, it highlighted Monaco's weakness, scoring goals. The Nigerian full-back is the 10th player to score for Monaco, but no one has scored more than two.
Monaco failed to find a second goal on the night and Reims made them pay. Former Monegasque winger, Benjamin Moukandjo, came off the bench and scored with the away sides first shot on target, getting on the end of a swift counter-attack to stun the home side.
"2 - Reims have made 2 shots on target in their last 2 Ligue 1 games, scoring 2 goals. Efficiency.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) October 31, 2014"
After finishing second last season, Monaco is five points off Lyon in third at the moment, but it could have been just three if they had converted their dominance into goals.
Failure to kill off games could be what hampers Monaco's chances of finishing in the top three this season.
Winners: Paris Saint-Germain
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After going 1-0 down away to Lorient on Saturday afternoon, there was a huge chance that Paris Saint-Germain would drop points for the seventh time this season.
The first half was nothing short of awful from the away side, but Lorient faded and PSG improved. Goals from Edinson Cavani and Jean-Christophe Bahebeck saved Laurent Blanc's blushes and helped the Parisians to their sixth win of the season and moved them within one point of Marseille at the top of the table.
OM's win over Lens on Sunday night extended the lead back to four points, but sets up the stage perfectly before next weekend's Le Classique on Sunday.
Any slip up could have given Marseille the chance to go 10 points clear on match day 13, something that would have been unthinkable only 12 months ago.
"2012 - Paris SG have won a Ligue 1 game after trailing at half-time for the first time since May 2012… in Lorient. Habit.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 1, 2014"
The performance may not have been inspirational, but the result is all that mattered for Laurent Blanc.
PSG now go into Sunday’s game with a chance to close within one point of the very impressive challengers. If they could do that next week, it would silence all the critics.
There has been nothing but praise for Marseille, much deserved praise, but PSG are coming back, and they are not playing anything near to their best. That must be encouraging for Blanc and the PSG players.
Losers: FC Lorient
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Lorient has a reputation in recent years of developing young talent and selling them on for a decent profit. To do that, it depends on a team playing attractive football, putting together good performances and garnering attention.
In the past, results against PSG, Marseille and the other big clubs have put Les Merlus on the map. This season, Lorient find themselves in the bottom three, and the heady heights of Coupe de France semi-finals and Top eight finishes look a lifetime away.
Saturday's defeat was their fifth defeat in six, in that room they have conceded 11 and scored only four times.
Only three teams have scored fewer goals than Sylvain Ripoll's side this season.
The first half performance on Saturday will give the home fans hope, but things will need to change quickly if FCL are to climb back to a position of respectability.
Winners: Alexandre Lacazette
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Saturday, away at Nice, was a great chance for Olympique Lyonnais to build on their excellent 1-0 win over Marseille last week. The first half was tight and unspectacular, but the second half got off to a lively start, with Nice's Gregoire Puel giving the home side the lead in the 51st minute.
This only angered Les Gones, former Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque equalising 13 minutes later, and then it was top scorer Alexander Lacazette that made the biggest impact, scoring twice in the last six minutes to give Lyon a 3-1 victory.
It was another stunning performance from the France international striker. Saturday’s double takes him up to 10 for the season. From all the attention that Marseille’s Gignac has received after his ten goals, Lacazette deserves the same, if not more credit.
It is going to be hard for Didier Deschamps to leave him out of the next France squad.
Losers: Toulouse FC
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It is not going to plan down at the Stade Municipal. Toulouse were knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue by rivals Bordeaux midweek and on Sunday, Willy Sagnol’s side subjected Toulouse to their third defeat in a row.
The cup defeat makes it four defeats in all competitions and Alain Casanova will need to look to his side and try to solve this conundrum out before the play Metz next week.
"1 - the number of shots on target in the first-half between Bordeaux & Toulouse (Ben Yedder, 41st min). Quiet.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 2, 2014"
Defeat could mean that the Toulouse boss finally moves away from his favoured 3-5-2 formation, something he changed during the defeat once they went 2-1 down.
Both sides started the game with three at the back, and finished with a back four and it may be something that Casanova has to try. The 3-5-2 hasn’t worked this season, now it is up to the coach to decide whether it’s the formation or the players that are causing the issues.
Winners: EA Guingamp
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Only one side below Montpellier in ninth managed to pick up three points this weekend in Ligue 1. That side was Europa League representatives EA Guingamp, and the 1-0 win over fellow strugglers SC Bastia, takes the Breton side out of the relegation zone.
The winning goal was gifted to Bastia midfielder Guillaume Gillet, but Coach Jocelyn Gourvennec won’t care. Wins are hard to come by down the bottom of the table, as results this weekend highlight.
Victories against sides like Bastia will be crucial this season, beating teams battling to stay up, especially at home, is all Gourvennec can do to give his side a chance at survival.
Their next two games in the league are against Lyon and Rennes, points won’t come easy, and then they travel to Evian at the end of November. If Gourvennec can keep his side out of the bottom three come December, the Breton side will fancy their chances at staying in the league.
