Lyon's 3-0 beating of AS Monaco took them back onto the podium while LOSC cemented second place with victory in Nîmes in another

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1 NEWSLETTER Week 19 LIGUE 1 CONFORAMA Week 18 review: OL, LOSC and Reims make the most of it Lyon's 3-0 beating of AS Monaco took them back onto the podium while LOSC cemented second place with victory in Nîmes in another round of Ligue 1 Conforama limited to four matches by continued security concerns. Although, like Week 17, Ligue 1 Conforama's Week 18 incurred a number of postponements, Olympique Lyonnais were totally on schedule as they ran through struggling Monaco at the Groupama Stadium to win their way back into the top three - provisionally at least. After clinching a first UEFA Champions League last 16 berth in seven years with a strong display in the 1-1 draw away to Shakhtar Donetsk in mid-week, Les Gones put their inconsistency behind them with another fine performance, home-grown stars Houssem Aouar and Nabil Fekir joined by Ferland Mendy on the one-way scoresheet. "I'm happy with the win but above all our attitude and the way we played. We made the job easy for ourselves. This match was one of our very best of the season in Ligue 1 Conforama," said OL boss Bruno Genesio. "What was different for us tonight was the fact that we stayed serious, concentrated and committed right to the final whistle. We kept on playing for each other and really striving hard, and that was something a little bit new." Meanwhile Monaco boss Thierry Henry was not a happy man after his side shipped a tenth defeat of the league season to remain in 19th place. "I'm really annoyed, because you can't just lose like that. Tonight we did the same thing we did against Dortmund [a 2-0 home loss on UEFA Champions League matchday 6]. We were up against a quality side and Lyon played a good match, but for the first goal we gave them possession back for free. And Aleksandr Golovin got a red card, which made things even tougher," Lamented the France legend, off to tough start in his senior coaching career. "We'll do our best to turn the page on this match, as we have a huge match coming up against Guingamp [Week 19's relegation six-pointer in Ligue 1 Conforama on Sunday]." OL may be into the top three but LOSC remain three points clear in second - and provisionally ten points shy of leaders PSG - after their thrilling 3-2, ten-man win in Nîmes, which featured a stunning solo effort for Ligue 1 Conforama co-top scorer Nicolas Pépé (12 goals alongside Kylian Mbappé and Emiliano Sala) and a sublime curler from Nîmes' Rachid Alioui. "What a match. I am really proud of my players. It's a great victory," beamed Les Dogues' boss Christophe Galtier, who saw his captain Jose Fonte sent off just 16 minutes in. "Nîmes had been the best team in the league over the last five games, so to win here is a great performance. Despite the sending-off of our captain, we hung on in there and scored two more goals. I never thought at 3-0 that we had the game in the bag - I knew a goal could get Nîmes back in it." Galtier's opposite number Bernard Blaquart was also a proud coach: "Lille are not where they are by chance. This was maybe too big a step for us, but we were not far away from getting something. I always believed, but if I am to have any regrets it is with our start. Our second goal came too late, but if Clément Depres had equalised, the roof would have come off the stadium." Unbeaten in six matches heading into this re-jigged fixture, which had originally been set for Friday evening, Patrick Vieira's OGC Nice were hoping for better than a draw but had to make do as a late Wylan Cyprien rescued a point after Loïs Diony's opener. "I was pleased with the positive spirit shown by the team. To be behind and to push to get the equaliser is positive. We deserved better in the last half-hour," said Vieira of the match that saw both sides end with ten men following red cards for Christophe Herelle (Nice) and Yannis Salibur (Saint-Etienne). "Overall it was a good game with two good goalkeepers. It could have been 2-2 or 3-3, but we are frustrated given the way we ended 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 1

2 the match." The result leaves Nice and Saint-Etienne in fifth and seventh places respectively, with Stade de Reims not far behind after clinching their sixth win of the season - and first in four matches away to in-form Strasbourg. Mathieu Cafaro's 66th-minute winner saw Reims leapfrog their opponents on the night into eighth, with both sides having played all 18 matches so far this season. Week 18 reactions - Mercadal: 'Best possible scenario' Caen coach Fabien Mercadal was delighted his side managed to win the relegation six-pointer with Toulouse as his counterpart Alain Casanova was left with regrets. Tuesday, December 18, 2018 SM Caen 2-1 Toulouse FC Fabien Mercadal (Caen coach): "The match was tough and it was the best possible scenario to give us energy. We brought on lads to try to provoke things and to try to turn things around and that's what happened with young Evens. We're alive and we'd already shown that at Strasbourg. We've managed to build on that point we took away from home and the win is good for the whole stadium. The fans deserve it and we deserve it." Alain Casanova (Toulouse coach): "When you're beaten in the last few seconds like that it is cruel even if we didn't play the match we said we would. We had trouble getting into the game and allowed them to gain confidence in themselves. We had a bit of luck just before half-time but we were too speculative in the second half. We wanted to hold onto the result and the only people we should be angry with are ourselves." Sunday, December 16, 2018 Olympique Lyonnais 3-0 AS Monaco Bruno Genesio (Olympique Lyonnais coach): "I'm happy with the win but above all our attitude and the way we played. We made the job easy for ourselves. This match was one of our very best of the season in Ligue 1 Conforama. What was different for us tonight was the fact that we stayed serious, concentrated and committed right to the final whistle. We kept on playing for each other and really striving hard, and that was something a little bit new." Thierry Henry (AS Monaco coach): "I'm really annoyed, because you can't just lose like that. Tonight we did the same thing we did against Dortmund [a 2-0 home loss on UEFA Champions League matchday 6]. We were up against a quality side and Lyon played a good match, but for the first goal we gave them possession back for free. And Aleksandr Golovin got a red card, which made things even tougher. We'll do our best to turn the page on this match, as we have a huge match coming up against Guingamp [Week 19's relegation six-pointer in Ligue 1 Conforama on Sunday]." Nîmes Olympique 2-3 LOSC Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "Lille are not where they are by chance. This was maybe too big a step for us, but we were not far away from getting something. The result could have perhaps been different, but conceding after five minutes made it difficult for us. Lille are a model team in terms of how they counter-attack - we knew that, but they really are formidable in that regard. And after the Paris forward line, Pépé and Bamba are the best out there. I always believed, but if I am to have any regrets it is with our start. Our second goal came too late, but if Clément Depres had equalised the roof would have come off the stadium." Christophe Galtier (Lille coach): "What a match. I am really proud of my players. It is a great victory. Nîmes had been the best team in the league over the last five games, so to win here is a great performance. Our attitude and the way we played when down to 10 men were beyond reproach. Despite the sending-off of our captain, we hung on in there and scored two more goals. I never thought at 3-0 that we had the game in the bag - I knew a goal could get Nîmes back in it. If we are lucky enough to get to 37 points at the halfway stage it would be exceptional given what happened last season." 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 2

3 OGC Nice 1-1 AS Saint-Etienne Patrick Vieira (Nice coach): "I was pleased with the positive spirit shown by the team. To be behind and to push to get the equaliser is positive. We deserved better in the last half-hour. Going forward we were much more dangerous than in our last match. In recent games we have had between five and 10 shots on goal, but today we had more than 20. We are progressing. We need to keep working hard to score more goals. Overall it was a good game with two good goalkeepers. It could have been 2-2 or 3-3, but we are frustrated given the way we ended the match." Jean-Louis Gasset (Saint-Etienne coach): "We would have taken a point before the game. But having been 1-0 up, and with 11 against 10, with two or three saves from the Nice goalkeeper, we could have won it. We have ended a run of defeats at Lyon and Bordeaux, despite playing well in both those games. We played well here too. We were solid at the back and we created chances to score and got one goal, so it was a fair point. Now we will try to build on this when we play Dijon at home next Saturday. That would see us finish the first half of the season with 30 points with a game in hand. That would be not bad." Saturday, December 15, 2018 Stade de Reims 2-1 RC Strasbourg Alsace David Guion (Reims coach): "Every win's important to us. I want my players to savour every victory. This one was beautiful, and well deserved. We had complete control in this match. It's about more than just the points; we have the mind-set that we belong in Ligue 1 Conforama. I no longer need to remind the players that that's the case!" Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "Reims simply had more heart and commitment. We were too wasteful in the first half but it was tough to adjust to the pitch. The players said after the warm up that it was slippery. But Reims' first goal still came from a mistake as we left a player unmarked at the edge of the box. We thought we'd done the hard part by equalising in the second half but then we conceded. We hoped to draw but we couldn't hold on." Bordeaux v Amiens rescheduled The Girondins de Bordeaux - Amiens SC game, initially scheduled for Saturday December 21 at 21:00 has now been put back to Sunday December 23 at 17:00. The match was moved at the request of the prefecture of Gironde. 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 3

4 COUPE DE LA LIGUE BKT PSG through after Orleans scare Moussa Diaby stepped off the bench to score the 81st-minute winner for holders Paris Saint-Germain at Domino's Ligue 2 outfit Orleans in the round of 16 of the Coupe de la Ligue BKT. US Orléans 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain THE MATCH Five-time defending champions PSG entered the competition at the club ranked 11th in the second tier and found Didier Ollé-Nicolle's side obdurate opponents. Without the injured Neymar and with Kylian Mbappé left on the bench, PSG laboured in the first half before breaking through thanks to Edinson Cavani four minutes before the break (41'). Joseph Lopy equalised (68') before Diaby's heroics. PSG managed a shot on target inside the first 90 seconds as Orleans club legend Thomas Renault reached up to keep out an Eric Choupo-Moting effort. Orleans had scraps of possession but still posed a threat and Anthony Le Tallec (11') volleyed wide. The visitors produced a moment of sublime quality to open the scoring as Angel Di Maria played in Cavani behind the defence and the Uruguayan lifted the ball over the advancing Renault. The home goalkeeper, 34, enjoyed a fine match and distinguished himself (45') by keeping out a swerving Dani Alves free-kick. Mbappé, playing his last match as a teenager before turning 20 on Thursday, came off the bench just before the hour, replacing the injured Di Maria. The World Cup winner came off second best in a one-on-one with Renault (65') before Marquinhos headed wide (66'). Orleans levelled when Christopher Nkunku gave the ball away to Lopy and the rangy midfielder advanced before firing an unstoppable shot into the side-netting of Gianluigi Buffon's goal (68'). The Italian legend had replaced Alphonse Areola at half-time. Diaby stepped off the bench in the 77th minute and four minutes later he dribbled his way into the area, past Gauthier Pinaud and Pierre Bouby before firing through Renault's legs. Orleans continued to threaten from set-pieces but PSG could have added another goal as Renault (90+1') dealt with an attempted chip from Mbappé, and then the PSG attacker had a shot miraculously cleared off the line by Pinaud as Renault was stranded upfield having gone up for a corner. THE PLAYER: Thomas Renault The 34-year-old goalkeeper is Orleans born and bred and a one-club man. Orleans' record appearance maker enjoyed his match in the limelight as he made several quality saves. Renault was spotted after the final whistle telling Cavani he was a whisker away from dealing with the striker's first-half chip as well. THE STAT: 15 Edinson Cavani has scored 15 goals in the Coupe de la Ligue, making him the joint top-scorer in the competition's history along with Pedro Pauleta. 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 4

5 Lyon edge ten-man Amiens in Coupe de la Ligue Olympique Lyonnais won through to the Coupe de la Ligue quarter-finals with a 3-2 win over ten-man Amiens SC, with Moussa Dembélé (pen. 20'), Bertrand Traoré (45+2') and Martin Terrier (60') getting their goals. Amiens SC 2-3 Olympique Lyonnais THE MATCH Bruno Génésio heavily rotated his Lyon line-up, with this match falling between tricky Ligue 1 Conforama encounters against AS Monaco and Montpellier Hérault SC, but a youthful Gones side began confidently against their hosts, with Dembélé stinging Matthieu Dreyer's gloves early on before Pape Diop blazed over on the follow-up (10'). Lyon took the lead from the penalty spot ten minutes later, with Dembélé converting after Khaled Adénon had fouled Traoré in the box (20'). Yellow carded for his clumsy challenge, Adénon was then given his marching orders by referee Karim Abed for a second bookable offence, this time for a foul on Diop (26'). A goal and a man to the good, Lyon duly turned up the pressure, and nearly doubled their advantage when Tanguy Ndombele burst into the box and let fly, but Dreyer proved equal to the recent France international's shot (37'). Ndombele turned provider before the half was out, though, teeing up Traoré on the counter-attack, who finished with aplomb (45+2'). Amiens goalkeeper Dreyer has played second fiddle to Régis Gurtner this season, only featuring in cup competitions with the club vice-captain preferred in the league, but he looked nothing if not match sharp, and reacted well early in the second half to tip Martin Terrier's effort over the bar (51'). There was nothing he could do when the former LOSC midfielder made it 3-0 on the hour, though, with Marçal and Dembélé combining to devastating effect to leave Terrier with a tap-in (60'). To Amiens' immense credit, they pushed hard in the final half hour. Dreyer's opposite number was forced into a point-blank save from Eddy Gnahoré following a corner (63'), and was then picking the ball out of his net when Jason Denayer deflected Rafal Kurzawa's free-kick helplessly beyond his reach (70'). Yassin Fekir - younger brother of Nabil - came on for his debut late on (86'), but it was too late for him to make much of an impact. Instead, it was Cheick Timité who had the final say, forcing home what proived to be a consolation (90+1') as it ended 3-1. THE PLAYER: Moussa Dembélé Dembélé was an absolute livewire at the Stade de la Licorne. The former Celtic striker initially found competition for an attacking berth quite fierce after arriving from Scotland in the summer, but has found his feet in recent weeks. He had four shots at goal on Tuesday - a game high - and looks ready to fill the void left by Mariano Diaz's departure to Real Madrid. THE STAT: 100 Lyon maintained their 100 percent record against Amiens. The sides have previously met three times in the league, with Lyon winning each clash to the tune of seven goals scored and just two conceded. OM lose on penalties, Monaco through Dimitri Payet missed two penalties as Olympique de Marseille were dumped out of the Coupe de la Ligue BKT in a shoot-out against RC Strasbourg Alsace. AS Monaco were among the other winners in the round of 16. Many Marseille fans chose to stay away from the Orange Vélodrome on Wednesday with Rudi Garcia's stuttering side having been in poor form of late. Those who did turn out saw their team fall behind early on against Strasbourg, Jonas Martin sending Steve Mandanda the wrong way from an 18th-minute penalty awarded after a Jordan Amavi handball. The hosts thought they had drawn level soon after when Benjamin Corgnet helped a Payet free-kick into his own net with his head, but the goal was chalked off for an offside against Jorge Rolando. 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 5

6 With suspended top scorer Florian Thauvin watching from the stands, OM stepped up the pressure in the second half and won a spot-kick of their own when Maxime Lopez was brought down in the area by Martin. However, Payet saw his penalty saved by Bingourou Kamara (69'). Nevertheless, Marseille were rewarded for their pressure with 10 minutes remaining. The Strasbourg defence struggled to clear from a Bouna Sarr cross and a Hiroki Sakai tackle in the box turned into an assist for Luiz Gustavo to sweep home (80'). The game finished 1-1 and to penalties they went, with Payet hitting the post from Marseille's second kick. Strasbourg converted all four of their efforts, meaning Adil Rami had to score when he stepped up for the home side. But the defender blazed his attempt over the bar and Strasbourg went through 4-2 on penalties. It is the third season running in which Marseille have been eliminated on penalties in the round of 16, and the pressure continues to build on Garcia. Elsewhere, Thierry Henry's struggling Monaco received a boost as they edged out Ligue 2 visitors FC Lorient 1-0 at the Stade Louis II. An extremely youthful Monaco team - featuring the English teenager Jonathan Panzo - had to deal with tough conditions in the principality, and there was a lengthy hold-up at one point in the first half with heavy rain leaving the pitch waterlogged. However, play eventually resumed and Monaco - beaten finalists in each of the last two seasons - got the breakthrough 20 minutes from time thanks to a fine strike from the 18-year-old Giulian Biancone. Their Côte d'azur rivals OGC Nice are out, though - Patrick Vieira's side lost 3-1 on penalties to EA Guingamp after a 0-0 draw along the coast at the Allianz Riviera. Meanwhile, Stade Rennais FC triumphed 2-1 in their derby clash with FC Nantes at Roazhon Park. Damien Da Silva grabbed the 89th-minute winner for Rennes, who continue to fly under new coach Julien Stéphan. Edson Mexer had earlier brought the home side level (60'), cancelling out a Majeed Waris opener four minutes into the second half for Nantes. Girondins de Bordeaux won 1-0 at Dijon FCO thanks to a second-half Toma Basic effort, but there was a shock in Normandy. Ligue 2 Le Havre AC ousted Nîmes Olympique 2-1 at the Stade Océane, with Alexandre Bonnet getting their winner after Antonin Bobichon had cancelled out an opener for Le Havre from Zimbabwean forward Tino Kadewere. Last 16 reactions - Stéphan: 'A win for the whole squad' Rennes boss Julien Stéphan was thrilled after his side qualified for the quarters with a 2-1 win over Nantes; Thierry Henry was focused on the future after Monaco claimed a first home win of the season at home to Lorient. Coupe de la Ligue BKT round of 16 Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Stade Rennais FC 2-1 FC Nantes Julien Stéphan (Stade Rennais FC coach): "We controlled the spaces much better in the second half and they didn't manage to create much going forward, and gradually we took the upper hand. Above all I'm happy because this is a win for the whole squad. It proved that this is a squad - and not just a starting XI - that is capable of achieving big things. The substitutes did a great job." Vahid Halilhodzic (FC Nantes coach): "It's disappointing. We opened the scoring and played well; we controlled the match. The goals we conceded came because of a lack of rigour from set pieces. It's a shame, because we had high hopes in the competition." AS Monaco 1-0 FC Lorient Thierry Henry (AS Monaco coach): "Things were tough for the first 17 minutes and Lorient had the upper hand. But we got a first home win of the season [after eight defeats and three draws in all competitions]. It will be easier for us to prepare for Guingamp [in the Ligue 1 Conforama Week 19 clash on Saturday] after a win. There will be a lot more than three points on the line in that match." 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 6

7 Mickaël Landreau (FC Lorient coach): "We have regrets. It was a great adventure for us this season; we had some great Coupe de la Ligue moments, with four away matches. We prepared well for this clash and it's a shame we couldn't manage to capitalise towards the end and take it to penalties. It's disappointing; we had our hearts set on qualifying." Olympique de Marseille 1-1 RC Strasbourg Alsace (2-4 on pens.) Rudi Garcia (Olympique de Marseille coach): "The main thing is that we have been eliminated. The details didn't go in our favour. Now we need to smarten up and win against Angers [in their Ligue 1 Conforama Week 19 clash] in our last match of the year. Our second half was an improvement, but it shouldn't have gone to penalties - we had enough attacking situations to have won it before the end." Thierry Laurey (RC Strasbourg Alsace coach): "We're happy to add another Coupe de la Ligue match to our calendar for January. I feel that, little by little, we're making progress. It was sad to see the Vélodrome, one of the most beautiful stadiums in France, empty. You could feel a lack of confidence in their team; they made simple technical errors even though they're high-level players. That has to do with confidence, and confidence only comes from results." OGC Nice 0-0 EA Guingamp (1-3 on pens.) Patrick Vieira (OGC Nice coach): "It's extremely disappoint to have been eliminated. We had every chance of qualifying but we were mediocre in attack tonight and we didn't score when we had the upper hand, which gave our opponents confidence. We haven't scored in open play in four matches, and it's up to me to find the solutions, but I don't think that means changing the formation." Jocelyn Gourvennec (EA Guingamp coach): "It's only qualification for the next round - it doesn't give us any points in Ligue 1 Conforama, where we really need them. Still, it's a huge plus. The squad deserved something positive. I think we had the more clear-cut chances. We were subject to Nice's possession and passing game, but we weren't caught out that much if at all. We're very happy to be in the quarters, but we need to keep a lid on it - it was still just a cup match." Dijon FCO 0-1 Girondins de Bordeaux Eric Bedouet (Girondins de Bordeaux coach): "This match was decided on a throw of the dice. It could have been Dijon, but in the end it was we who qualified. Both sides showed a bit of sloppiness, but I think fatigue played part. It was a great night for our young 'keeper Gaëtan Poussin, who made the saves when the time came, and for Toma Basic, who scored the goal that qualified us. I wanted to give these youngsters a chance, and they seized it." Olivier Dall'Oglio (Dijon FCO coach): "It was a closed-off kind of match, with very few chances. We conceded just after creating a gilt-edged chance for [Benjamin] Jeannot. Our second half was an improvement, but I'm disappointed with the result - we just lacked some good fortune going forward. We deserved to qualify just as much as Bordeaux did. We have a lot on our plate at the moment, but we did not neglect his match." Havre AC 2-1 Nîmes Olympique Oswald Tanchot (Le Havre coach): "It's a really joyful moment for the whole team. I was looking for my team to rise to the occasion, as a place in the quarters has to be earned. We had to go after it. We knew Nîmes wouldn't give an inch, and we punched out ticket at the end of a high-octane match. This qualification is richly deserved; we brought the quality we needed to bring. We played the full 90 minutes, we converted our chances and we defended intelligently. It's just a shame we waited until December to play a match of this quality." Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes Olympique coach): "Naturally we're disappointed, especially with the way things happened. We did out best; we had decided to rest a couple of players and we found ourselves on the back foot faced with a very committed Le Havre side. It seemed a balanced match to me, but they put more oomph into the challenges. I don't know whether they deserved to win, but the gap between the two teams was not a big one." Amiens SC 2-3 Olympique Lyonnais 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 7

8 Christophe Pelissier (Amiens SC coach): "It's frustrating, I had to calm the players down at half-time. We won the second half, so we can hang onto that as a positive. Lyon were the better side, but we are dealing with a lot of adversity right now. It's moments like these when you see which squads have the capacity to rise above their circumstances. I'm sure we will do a good job." Bruno Genesio (Olympique Lyonnais coach): "We were a bit complacent tonight, and I didn't like it.you have to respect your opponent and stay disciplined after you do the hard work of taking the lead. It's not ok, when you're a man up, to go from 3-0 up to 3-2 and have a nervy end to the match. The most important thing in cup matches is qualifying, but we cannot afford to allow ourselves to let a lead slip the way we did tonight." Tuesday, December 18, 2018 US Orléans 1-2 Logo Paris Saint-Germain Didier Ollé-Nicolle (Orleans coach): "I have a lot of beautiful images in my head and a lot of pride in what the team achieved. We were up against PSG and we mustn't underplay what we did there. PSG are capable of beating teams in Ligue 1 by four or five goals, they play in the Champions League and have players nominated for the Ballon d'or. Everyone came to the stadium in order to watch PSG's stars and ended up seeing a real match." Thomas Tuchel (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "I didn't expect to suffer so much although I knew it was possible as long as we hadn't shut down the match. We made a mistake on their goal and after that it became difficult. There were lots of obstacles to overcome today with the ball and the weather. It wasn't easy. I'm very happy as we played seriously. The only thing I didn't like was that we didn't look after the ball well enough in the last eight or nine minutes." Coupe de la Ligue BKT quarter-final draw Holders Paris Saint-Germain will entertain EA Guingamp in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue BKT after Wednesday night's draw. Paris have won the Coupe de la Ligue in each of the last five seasons and will be confident of making it through to the semi-finals after being handed a home draw against a Guingamp side struggling at the foot of Ligue 1 Conforama. Thomas Tuchel's side had to work hard to win 2-1 away to US Orléans of Domino's Ligue 2 in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, RC Strasbourg Alsace are going to have do it the hard way if they are to win the trophy for the first time since After eliminating LOSC in the last round, their reward for beating Olympique de Marseille on penalties is a trip to Olympique Lyonnais in the last eight. Thierry Henry's AS Monaco will host Stade Rennais FC at the Stade Louis II, while Girondins de Bordeaux will entertain Le Havre AC, the sole survivors from outwith the top flight. Le Havre will also go to Bordeaux in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France early next month. Coupe de la Ligue BKT quarter-final draw Olympique Lyonnais v RC Strasbourg Alsace AS Monaco v Stade Rennais FC Girondins de Bordeaux v Le Havre AC Paris Saint-Germain v EA Guingamp Ties to be played on January 8 and 9. 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 8

9 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE/UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE United for PSG, Barca for OL Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn against Manchester United in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, while Olympique Lyonnais will face Barcelona. Rennes are up against Real Betis in the round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League. Paris Saint-Germain will face Manchester United for the first time in the Champions League as they attempt to improve on a last-16 showing last season, when they fell to Real Madrid. PSG will go to Old Trafford for the first leg with the return to be played at the Parc des Princes. Zoumana Camara, Thomas Tuchel's assistant coach, said: "Manchester United are prestigious opponents. They will be two great games. We're lucky enough to be at home in the return leg and that's very good for our fans. It's a decent draw but we need to take them seriously." Olympique Lyonnais will be at home in the first leg before going to Spain for the return game. The clubs met in the last 16 of the edition, drawing 1-1 in the first leg before Thierry Henry inspired Barça to a 5-2 success in the second leg. Gérard Houllier, an adviser to OL president Jean-Michel Aulas, commented: "We've played well in the Champions League and we've scored goals. Barcelona are more experienced than us and they're stronger than us. Anything can happen and we'll need to play very well in the first leg. We're up against potential champions and we have nothing to lose. Anything is possible." Stade Rennais FC will have to get past Real Betis to reach the round of 16 of the Europa League. The first leg will take place at Roazhon Park on February 14 with the return a week later. Betis are fifth in La Liga and count in their ranks Giovani Lo Celso, on loan from PSG. KYLIAN MBAPPÉ Pelé: 'Mbappé can become the new Pelé!' Brazilian legend Pelé has hailed Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé as a player capable of rivalling his stellar achievements. Speaking to Canal+, Pelé said: "He won the World Cup at 19 years old and I was only 17! I wound him up by saying he'd almost equalled me. I think he can become the new Pelé. A lot of people think I say that for a laugh but it's no joke. To make me even happier, Kylian needs to win another World Cup now." Mbappé and his PSG team-mates are in action in the round of 16 of the Coupe de la Ligue BKT at Domino's Ligue 2 club Orléans on Tuesday 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 9

10 evening. The capital club have won the competition in each of the last five seasons but are likely to launch their defence without Neymar, who is suffering with a groin niggle. Birthday boy Mbappé hits 20 Thursday is the day the world's best teenager becomes the world's best 20-year-old. The sensational Kylian Mbappé has already achieved so much for one so young and ligue1.com takes a look at his career highlights. As a teenager the phenomenal Mbappé won Ligue 1 Conforama twice - first with Monaco and then with Paris Saint-Germain - as well as claiming the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France with PSG in Another great club achievement was reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League with Monaco, while 2018 will forever be the year that saw Mbappé scored in a FIFA World Cup final as France beat Croatia in the Moscow final. The precocious Mbappé made his Ligue 1 Conforama debut at 16 years and 11 months, becoming the youngest player in the Principality club's history when he came on for Fabio Coentrao against Caen on December Having eclipsed one Thierry Henry record, the starlet beat another on February when he scored in stoppage time against Troyes aged 17 and 62 days. After signing his first professional deal in March of that year, Mbappé helped France win the Euro Under-19s title that summer before a truly breakout campaign in Mbappé's incredible pace, preternatural composure and dynamism enabled Monaco to pip PSG to the league title with the forward ending up with 15 goals in 29 appearances. He also made a massive name for himself at European level, hitting his stride in the calendar year 2017 and finishing the Champions League campaign with a remarkable six goals in nine games. Already established as a French international, Mbappé moved to PSG, near his childhood home, in the summer of 2017, initially on loan. Forming a fearsome strike trio with Neymar and Edinson Cavani, Mbappé helped himself to 13 goals in the league. He ended the season with a domestic quadruple. The accolades and goals continued to flow at the FIFA World Cup as Mbappé netted four times in Russia, including in the final and was named the best young player in the competition. At the end of the year he won the inaugural Kopa trophy for the top young player at the Ballon d'or awards and finished fourth in the main competition. Everybody expects Mbappé to go on and claim multiple Ballon d'ors. Mbappé has started in exceptional form, the joint-top scorer in Ligue 1 Conforama with 12 goals from only 11 appearances. In bleu, in October he became the first player to reach 10 international goals before his 20th birthday. The frightening thing is that Mbappé has so much room for improvement and the rest of his career promises to be full of excitement and glory: Happy Birthday Kylian! 12/21/2018 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 10