A two-goal debut from Mario Balotelli put OGC Nice level on points with leaders AS Monaco, whose 4-1 mauling of LOSC put them in pole;

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1 NEWSLETTER Week 5 LIGUE 1 Week 4 review: Mario fires Nice level with leaders Monaco A two-goal debut from Mario Balotelli put OGC Nice level on points with leaders AS Monaco, whose 4-1 mauling of LOSC put them in pole; OL and PSG both faltered ahead of their Champions League openers later this week. The French footballing world was abuzz as soon as Mario Balotelli's staring place for the Mediterranean derby at home to Olympique de Marseille was announced, and the Italy international didn't disappoint, scoring his maiden goal from the spot in the 7th minute and following up with the leveller (78') that allowed Wylan Cyprien to clinch Les Aiglons a thrilling win with a 35-metre thunderbolt (88'). "It was a tough derby for the coaches, with lots of chances flying either way, but it was a great advertisement for football," said new Aiglons boss Lucien Favre, who saw Florian Thauvin and Bafétimbi Gomis score for OM to make it 2-1 before his Italy star hit back. "That Mario Balotelli's double will cause a lot of commentary and interest makes perfect sense. He played his last match months ago, and tonight he played 90 minutes. I like the way he held up play and gave his teammates time to get forward. But this is just one match, there is a lot of work left to do and he knows that." The result leaves Nice - who kick off their Europa League campaign at home to Schalke on Thursday - level on ten points with leaders Monaco, who showed that they are on point for Wednesday's Champions League opener by dismantling LOSC 4-1 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. "It was a great night and not only because we're playing Tottenham in the Champions League in four days' time. The players had a great game," said coach Leonardo Jardim, whose side maintained the scoring form that led to a 3-1 win over PSG in Week 3. "Our team isn't about 11 starters; we have a lot of good players and youngsters who will come into their own. We're on a positive dynamic and we need to hang onto that, as we know that Paris are unbackable favourites to take the title." This conviction that Paris Saint-Germain are set to take a fifth-straight Ligue 1 title may have come under some scrutiny after Unai Emery's men followed up their Week 3 loss by conceding a late 1-1 draw at home to Europa League contenders Saint-Etienne on Friday. Despite dominating possession, the capital club struggled to look dangerous and although they took the lead when Lucas converted from the spot, they allowed ASSE sub Robert Beric to turn home in the dying stages to leave the capital club winless in two matches heading into their Champions League clash at home to Arsenal on Tuesday. Although it may have qualified as a very poor night by the reigning champions' standards, it was nothing compared to Olympique Lyonnais' 3-1 capitulation at home to Bordeaux, Bruno Genesio's men having a howler as they head into their Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb. "It was our second defeat in a fortnight and it's starting to get out of hand. The result and nature of the game were nightmarish as we fell to our first defeat at the Parc OL, we lost Maxime Gonalons to a red card and Alexandre Lacazette got injured," said the OL boss, whose side slipped to eighth while the Girondins climbed to fourth. "We were sloppy and that meant we couldn't hang onto the ball after the first 25 minutes; Bordeaux came here to play, with a lot of attacking players." Big away wins were something of a theme in Week 4, and promoted side FC Metz followed Bordeaux and Monaco's lead by hammering FC Nantes 3-0 in front of their own fans at the Stade de la Beaujoire - thanks to a hat-trick from Ligue 1 journeyman striker Mevlut Erding. Last week's leader EA Guingamp could have held onto top spot with a win, but had to make do with a 1-1 draw at home to Montpellier and slipped to fifth, while a point below them in sixth, Stade Rennais are looming thanks to their 2-0 win over SM Caen. Promoted AS Nancy-Lorraine broke their duck and climbed off the foot of the table by inflicting a fourth-straight defeat on now-bottom side FC Lorient, 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 1

2 2-0 in Brittany, and Angers SCO also broke their season duck with a 3-1 triumph over promoted Dijon FCO. Meanwhile SC Bastia had Sweden left-back Pierre Begtsson's curling 25-metre free-kick to thank for their 2-1 win over Toulouse FC in a thrilling encounter on Saturday. Week 4 reactions - Favre hails Balotelli show OGC Nice boss Lucien Favre was delighted by star signing Mario Balotelli's two-goal performance in the thrilling 3-2 Mediterranean derby win over Olympique de Marseille, whose coach Franck Passi lamented unforced errors. Sunday, September 11, 2016 OGC Nice 3-2 Olympique de Marseille Lucien Favre (OGC Nice coach): "It was a tough derby for the coaches, with lots of chances flying either way, but it was a great advertisement for football. Marseille were the more dangerous side, with the ability to hit us hard - they're a really strong team up front. I got the feeling that my side weren't happy to settle for the draw, and ended up scoring a slightly fortunate goal - we had to shoot from 35 metres out and the ball moved pretty deceptively. That Mario Balotelli's double will cause a lot of commentary and interest makes perfect sense. He played his last match months ago, and tonight he played 90 minutes. We had planned to take him off. But this is just one match, there is a lot of work left to do and he knows that. I like the way he held up play and gave his teammates time to get forward. Ten points from four matches is terrific, and we need to keep it up." Franck Passi (Olympique de Marseille coach): "We started very well but then conceded a stupid opener. But my side had the character and the chances to make the difference, and at the break I thought we could do it. But when we went 2-1 up, we stopped playing - the players don't yet have the stamina. But it is very satisfying to see that OM are a side who can stay solid at the back while creating chances up front. Still, we made errors in both boxes and in between them too. We lost this derby stupidly and we must learn our lesson." FC Nantes 0-3 FC Metz René Girard (Nantes coach): "It is a humiliation. In football you think you have experienced everything and then it turns out not to be the case. It is very disappointing. We either got things very wrong or it was an accident. Metz had two or three chances in open play and put two of them away to finish us off before half-time. We were not capable of doing anything else, and I include myself in that. I tried to change things tactically but it wasn't any better." Philippe Hinschberger (Metz coach): "We managed to put into practice what we wanted to do, staying solid and well organised and leaning on the pace of our attackers. We got a clean sheet as well so it was a great afternoon, but it is not always like this. Mevlut is not some unknown. You are always happy when you have a striker who scores goals and a goalkeeper who doesn't concede. It has been a very good start to the season. We are making progress in lots of areas. Nobody expected Metz to be on the podium, and nor did we. But we have not stolen the points we have picked up." Stade Rennais FC 2-0 SM Caen Christian Gourcuff (Rennes coach): "It was a difficult match, with lots of instability, long balls, lots of corners where you are at the mercy of the slightest error. The most satisfying thing is that the players are receptive to what we want to do, and we can see that from the way they apply themselves. Some are improving physically too, because they put in a lot of running tonight. This result gives us serenity, which is something we need to keep progressing." Patrice Garande (Caen coach): "Apart from the first two minutes of the second half, I was quite satisfied. But when you start the second half like that, it is difficult when the opposition get a goal. We had lots of chances but didn't take any of them. I would have liked a different result, but we also need to learn that even when we perform well in the first half, we need to be switched on right from the start of the second half. We were punished for a mistake. I had rather a lot of confidence at half-time but that was reduced to nothing in the space of two minutes." 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 2

3 Saturday, September 10, 2016 LOSC 1-4 AS Monaco Frédéric Antonetti (LOSC coach): "We need to take some time to calmly analyse what happened and draw some conclusions. We had a catastrophic start to the match and we never found our feet. The squad isn't on point yet, and this was something that was our strength last season. I'm the main one responsible. I think I made some bad choices. Sometimes a loss like this can shock you into action, and I hope we can bounce back." Leonardo Jardim (AS Monaco coach): "It was a great night and not only because we're playing Tottenham in the Champions League in four days' time. After losing to LOSC 4-1 last season, we came up with a great response. The players had a great game. Our team isn't about 11 starters; we have a lot of good players and youngsters who will come into their own. We're on a positive dynamic and we need to hang onto that, as we know that Paris are unbackable favourites to take the title." Olympique Lyonnais 1-3 Girondins de Bordeaux Bruno Genesio (Olympique Lyonnais coach): "It was our second defeat in a fortnight and it's starting to get out of hand. The result and nature of the game were nightmarish as we fell to our first defeat at the Parc OL, we lost Maxime Gonalons to a red card and Alexandre Lacazette got injured. It was my choice to play him and keep him on as long as I did. We were sloppy and that meant we couldn't hang onto the ball after the first 25 minutes; Bordeaux came here to play, with a lot of attacking players." Jocelyn Gourvennec (Girondins de Bordeaux coach): "It was a great win. We conceded a controversial goal early but we kept our heads. Even though Lyon had a few chances to make the break, we stuck together and stayed in the match. In the second half, Cédric Carrasso's exceptional save kept us in it. The table is pretty tight right now. I'm happy to have nine points, especially as we have had a tough run of fixtures early on in the season." SC Bastia 2-1 Toulouse FC François Ciccolini (SC Bastia coach): "This is an important and deserved win. Our first half was better than Toulouse's but we dropped back in the second. We conceded a goal from a half-chance but our second goal rewarded our efforts. I'm happy for Pierre Bengtsson - he was practicing his free-0kicks for 25 minutes on Friday and was hitting the back of the net." Pascal Dupraz (Toulouse FC coach): "We didn't deserve to lose. We struggled hard to get into it in the first 30 minutes, and the choppy pitch didn't help. We deserved a better result. We should still be undefeated. I'm a competitor and I'm disappointed, but tonight we must congratulate Bastia." EA Guingamp 1-1 Montpellier Hérault SC Antoine Kombouaré (EA Guingamp coach): "I can't fault my players for much; they were huge in terms of spirit and the quality of their play. After the international break, I was wondering how the lads would react as, when you take top spot on the table, it brings a lot of attention. So I'm happy with the image the lads gave of the club, with a great first half. But it's also frustrating as we had a lot of promising situations in attack that we didn't convert. In football, scoring goals is the toughest thing; defending is a bit easier and we learnt that at our own expense tonight." Frédéric Hantz (Montpellier HSC coach): "It would have been surprising had we not struggled tonight, away to Guingamp, who are on a positive dynamic. I'm happy with the result given the stage of the season we're at and the form Guingamp are in. I think both sides can be frustrated not to have won it. We opened the scoring for the fourth match in a row and we didn't conceded in the second half, so that's great. We need to be sharper in attack but it's ok, it should improve. We will grow in strength as the season continues." FC Lorient 0-2 AS Nancy Lorraine Sylvain Ripoll (FC Lorient coach): "It was a really tough night; we couldn't get a grip on the match against a team who sat back in defence. Am I worried? If you're not worried after four losses is as many matches, you're either ignorant or a liar. We need to improve in many areas; this is the worst start we could have had. We need to keep our heads up." Pablo Correa (AS Nancy-Lorraine coach): "We came here to win and we won both halves. We decided to let them have the ball, as in our last few 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 3

4 matches we found ourselves getting caught out. We didn't want Lorient's quick forwards getting in behind us, so we played deep. The international break did us a lot of good. I wanted my team to get back on track so we had to be pragmatic. We knew that if we could get through them with some long balls, as we did with our first goal, that we could get a result." Angers SCO 3-1 Dijon FCO Stéphane Moulin (Angers SCO coach): "There were two consecutive kicks in the teeth, with Dijon opening the scoring and Billy Ketkeophomphone being sent off. But we reacted well, showed that we have character and converted our chances. Tonight we finally brought quality and efficiency together. We weren't a team in bad shape, but rather a team in search of points. Tonight we proved that we're in good health." Olivier Dall'Oglio (Dijon FCO coach): "What a rotten night. I'm disappointed with the lads' performance as well as how the match played out. We really struggled with Angers' power. We knew this would be tough, but I thought we would have had a more robust response. Unfortunately we didn't link up well enough and, at 11 versus ten, we should have turned the match in our favour." Friday, September 9, 2016 Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 AS Saint-Etienne Unai Emery (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "It's hard to accept, but I have to stay cool, to analyse this performance. I don't have anything to say about my players tonight, because I'm responsable for this result. I have to keep working on our tactics and style. The second half showed the way towards getting what I want. We have to find the right balance between attack and defence. I cannot be happy with tonight's result. We didn't have any chances in the first half, perhaps one. I changed things, to try and make things happen, but it wasn't enough. When the team is playing with more confidence, with a stronger identity, then things will go better. We have to stay optimistic after that second half - it showed we're on the right track." Christophe Galtier (AS Saint-Etienne coach): "I'm satisfied with the result, but certainly not with the way in which played throughout the match. We were good in the first half, except for the last few minutes, and in the second half we suffered. But we showed a lot of desire, application and rigour. On the other hand, we were very sloppy technically. We rushed. The only positive point was our belief. Equalising like that at the last minute is pleasing, especially after having lost by big margins in the past. Bit it's no relief to have put an end to our run of ten-straight defeats against Paris. Above all I was looking for us to disrupt our opponents, but when we had the ball in attack we used it very poorly. I'm not satisfied. Was it the system (a 3-5-2)? It was probably a bit of everything." 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 4

5 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Arsenal peg back PSG Edinson Cavani gave Paris Saint-Germain a first-minute lead, but the Ligue 1 champions had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal in their UEFA Champions League group-stage opener on Tuesday. Tuesday, September 13, 2016 UEFA Champions League Group A, Matchday 1 Parc des Princes, Paris Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal FC THE MATCH The pre-match atmosphere at the Parc des Princes had been tinged not only with expectation, but also a little tension. However, Unai Emery's men very quickly eased that. There were just 42 seconds on the clock when Cavani headed past former OGC Nice goalkeeper David Ospina - the Uruguay international forward unerring after meeting Serge Aurier's cross. With the visitors reeling, PSG pushed for more. They might have got it thanks to Angel Di Maria's perfectly executed backheel into the path of Adrien Rabiot - the young midfielder looked to have a clear sight of goal only for Laurent Koscielny to effect a timely block (10'). Clearly in the mood for mischief, Di Maria then tried his luck direct from a corner, almost catching out Ospina (13'), who was then fortunate to not see Cavani double the hosts' advantage after the forward had seized onto a delicious Marco Verratti through ball (35'). Arsenal looked anything like a side that had won their last seven away trips to France as they appeared very uncomfortable in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Di Maria passed up an opportunity early in the second half (53') before Arsenal made PSG pay for their missed chances when Alexis Sanchez rifled home after Alphonse Aréola had parried a shot (77'). Ospina needed to move smartly to smother at Cavani's feet (81') and Aréola had to make a save from Alex Iwobi (83') as both sides sought to claim all three points in the closing stages, during which Verratti and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud were both sent off (90+4') for a second bookable offence. THE PLAYER: Angel Di Maria The Argentina international was at his impish best, orchestrating PSG going forward. THE STAT: 42 Cavani's goal after 42 seconds is now PSG's quickest Champions League goal, beating the 54 seconds it took for the striker to score against APOEL in /16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 5

6 PSG-Arsenal reactions Paris Saint-Germain were upbeat despite conceding late to draw 1-1 with Arsenal FC in their opening UEFA Champions League game on Tuesday. Tuesday, September 13, 2016 UEFA Champions League Group A, Matchday 1 Parc des Princes, Paris Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal FC Adrien Rabiot (Paris midfielder): "We're quite disappointed. There was some good, and some not so good. We created quite a lot of chances, but only scored once, which is frustrating. In terms of intensity and aggression, it was rather good. We deserved to win. They're the most difficult opponents in the group, and it will get better match-after-match. It's rather encouraging. In terms of our performance, it was a good game. The coach encouraged us, told us it was good." Alphonse Aréola (Paris goalkeeper): "We did some good things, we perhaps deserved more. That's football! We're going to all keep working to put right what was lacking and to be on it in the coming matches." Edinson Cavani (Paris forward): "It's not a disappointment. More than the result, there are lots of positive things to focus on. Of course, it's normal that when you led ten minutes from the end and you end up drawing that you say to yourself that you should have won, especially as we had a lot of chances." Unai Emery (Paris coach): "I'm happy with the result and the way we played. I want all my players to play as they did today: they ran, they gave their all, they used the ball. I hope we'll do better next time, but we're on the right track. It takes time to build a team, but whenever you don't score a second goal when it's 1-0, you're always in danger." Olivier Giroud (Arsenal forward): "We picked up a point, which is a good thing given how the match went and the good number of chances they had at the end. It wouldn't have been daylight robbery if Paris had won. It was the ideal scenario for them, scoring early and then sitting back, but they weren't clinical. We always had faith in our game, and it's nice to have been rewarded." Arsène Wenger (Arsenal coach): "I have the feeling we contained Paris Saint-Germain quite well, they're a good team and started strongly. We knew we could cause them problems after the first half, and we proved it in the second with Alexis Sanchez's goal. I thought Paris were determined, aggressive, and quick on the counter-attack. They put us under a lot of pressure physically, but even in the first half I thought we could be dangerous. It's a good point for us." OL canter to opening-night win Olympique Lyonnais christened the Parc OL with a 3-0 win over GNK Dinamo Zagreb on their new stadium's UEFA Champions League opening night on Wednesday. Wednesday, 14 September, 2016 UEFA Champions League, Group Stage Matchday 1, Group H Parc OL, Lyon Olympique Lyonnais 3-0 GNK Dinamo Zagreb THE MATCH 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 6

7 The build-up to the game boded ill for OL for this first major European outing in their new home with coach Bruno Genesio missing five key players, including top striker Alexandre Lacazette. It led to the OL boss employing an unusual formation, but his reworked side adapted quickly. Maxwel Cornet tested Adrian Semper with a close-range flick (10') before Tolisso struck, sending a powerful header into the net from Rafael's cross (13'). Maxime Gonalons came close to adding a second with a crisp drive (23') though Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes needed to produce a top-drawer save from Jonas on the stroke of half-time to preserve the hosts' advantage. It was a rare scare, however, for OL, who soon put themselves out of danger. Jordan Ferri burst forward to clip a delicious shot over Semper and into the far corner (49') before Cornet raced onto a measured Tolisso pass to prod home Lyon's third (57'). Zagreb struck the woodwork twice when Lopes appeared beaten (61', 87'), but Rachid Ghezzal would have given Lyon a plumper cushion had Semper not smartly parried his angled drive (81'). THE PLAYER: Corentin Tolisso In the absence of a number of experienced and talented team-mates, Tolisso needed to step up. He did. The pure determination he showed for his stunning header for the opening goal was contrasted by the finesse of his pass for Cornet for the third goal. THE STAT: 15 OL had 15 shots against Zagreb, their most in the first half of a Champions League game since December 2004 v. Sparta Prague. Silva proves pure gold for Monaco Bernardo Silva scored a fine goal and produced a memorable display as AS Monaco scored an excellent 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur to get their UEFA Champions League group stage campaign off to the best possible start. Wednesday, 14 September, 2016 UEFA Champions League, Group Stage Group E, Matchday 1 Wembley Stadium, London Tottenham Hotspur FC 1-2 AS Monaco Beaten 4-1 by Spurs in the UEFA Europa League last season, Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim had vowed his team would show a different face second time round, and he was quickly proved right. Though Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane both had had opportunities, Monaco eased in front on 16 minutes - Silva's shot from just inside the box was too good even for France captain Hugo Lloris, who was powerless to prevent the Portugal midfielder's ferocious strike finding the net. Erik Lamela had caused Monaco many problems last season, and would have equalised almost immediately but for a good Danijel Subasic save. Instead, it was the visitors who added to the scoreline through Thomas Lemar, who fired home at the second time of asking (31'). Just as they appeared to be cruising into the half-time break, Monaco were given a jolt through Toby Alderweireld pulling one back in the dying seconds. They regrouped, however, though Subasic had to push out a Dele Alli shot (49') and a Kane effort (79') to ensure a victorious return to the principality. THE PLAYER: Bernardo Silva Once again, his individual class was on show for all to see with a superb opening goal while his backheel helped set up the second. THE STAT: 2 Monaco scored two goals in the first half, which is more than they managed in ten opening halves during the season when they reached the quarter-finals. 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 7

8 Arsenal win inspired us against Spurs - Jardim AS Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim said his side took inspiration from their win against Arsenal 18 months ago in order to beat another London side in Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Wednesday. Reactions... Wednesday, September 14, 2016 UEFA Champions League Group E Wembley Stadium, London Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 AS Monaco Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham coach): "We cannot concede how we did and we need to be more aggressive when we have the chances to score. We showed a lack of passion because we cannot concede these goals. This is how we spoke in the changing room. It was difficult to accept, not only the first goal but the second, as well. At 2-0 it was really difficult. We were better than Monaco but they were more effective at both ends. To win, we need to show more and be more aggressive. I talk about passion and it's about feeling more. We need to improve and learn. We need to work and to show more hunger. We need to show a different image." Leonardo Jardim (Monaco coach): "We were determined to stop Tottenham in their transitions. They are strong in that aspect, and we did a good job. Our mental approach was to remind ourselves of how we beat Arsenal, in just as big a stadium. One cannot always judge a striker on the goals he should have scored. I think Radamel (Falcao) had a super match. He worked hard defensively and his movement was good. We did not change our approach in the second period, but psychologically it is always difficult when you concede a goal before the break. I told the players that we would have taken a one-goal lead at the interval right away. Tactically the fact we were playing on a very big pitch posed Tottenham problems because they like to apply pressure and that is much harder on a big pitch." Tiémoué Bakayoko (Monaco): "We had a great first half and then were happy to control things in the second period. It is a great start for us in the competition and there was a 2-2 draw in the other game (between Bayer Leverkusen and CSKA Moscow). It is good to take first place, but it is only one match. We need to enjoy this beautiful victory, which we really deserved." UEFA Champions League Group H Parc OL, Lyon Olympique Lyonnais 3-0 GNK Dinamo Zagreb Bruno Génésio (Lyon coach): "It is a perfect start, because we won well I think against a Zagreb team who are a direct rival for third place if we want to talk about that. It is also a way of reassuring ourselves after our two defeats in the league and it launches our European campaign, helps us gain confidence. This new system is something we worked on for only two days. The players put a lot of thought in and played with intelligence. They took it all on board." Zlatko Kranjcar (Dinamo coach): "It's normal to be a bit sad and things on the pitch didn't go exactly as we expected. Even if Lyon were stronger than us, we still had four chances to start turning things around. I'd like to congratulate Lyon but not everything was negative from our side. Lyon, Juventus and Sevilla are a cut above us, but we want to show up well in the group." Corentin Tolisso (Lyon): "I honestly hadn't thought about the fact I'd become the first scorer in the Champions League in this stadium, but it's something that makes me very happy. I work hard on a daily basis to be as good as possible and today I've been rewarded. The most important thing is the team. We played solidly and didn't concede and that was important as we'd been conceding goals recently." 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 8

9 EUROPA LEAGUE Beric rescues draw for Saint-Etienne Robert Beric struck late to earn AS Saint-Etienne a 1-1 draw away to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in their UEFA Europa League opener on Thursday. Thursday, September 15, 2016 UEFA Europa League Group C Opel Arena, Mainz 1. FSV Mainz AS Saint-Etienne THE MATCH It looked like Saint-Etienne were heading for defeat in their Group C opener at the Opel Arena until they scrambled an equaliser in the 88th minute. Kévin Théophile-Catherine flighted a long free-kick into the Mainz penalty box and substitute Alexander Soderlund headed the ball down for Beric to score. It was a fourth goal of the season for the Slovenian striker and his second in the competition after he got the winner away to AEK Athens in the third qualifying round. The result was reward for Christophe Galtier's side after they pushed forward in the latter stages, but for most of the game they appeared unlikely to break down the Bundesliga club's defence. On a rainy evening in Germany, Mainz were the more dangerous side but struggled to seriously test perennial back-up Jessy Moulin, starting in the away goal as Stéphane Ruffier began a three-match suspension. However, Moulin made a terrific save to tip a Gaëtan Bussmann shot over the bar and from the corner that followed in the 57th minute, Mainz took the lead. Yunus Malli's delivery from the home left was not dealt with and captain Niko Bungert threw himself at the ball to score. But Beric hit back to earn a draw that sets up Les Verts nicely ahead of their next game at home to RSC Anderlecht in a fortnight, with the Belgians winning their opener 3-1 against Qabala of Azerbaijan. THE PLAYER: Robert Beric Beric, who spent most of last season out injured, again showed that he is exactly the type of penalty-box poacher Les Verts have been crying out for as they started their campaign in positive fashion. THE STAT: 2 It is now just two defeats in 17 group games in the Europa League and its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, for Saint-Etienne. 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 9

10 Nice beaten by Schalke A late Abdul Baba Rahman goal condemned OGC Nice to a 1-0 defeat against Schalke 04 in their UEFA Europa League Group I encounter. Thursday, September 15, 2016 UEFA Europa League Group I Allianz Riviera, Nice OGC Nice 0-1 FC Schalke 04 THE MATCH Lucien Favre's side came into their meeting with the German giants with high hopes for their European campaign, but they struggled against a side who must be among the favourites to win the trophy. Favre kept faith in the team that had beaten Olympique de Marseille at the weekend, meaning Mario Balotelli again partnered Alassane Pléa in attack, but Schalke had almost all the chances at the Allianz Riviera. The visitors should have been ahead midway through the first half but Yoan Cardinale made a brilliant double save to deny Leon Goretzka before Paul Baysse blocked Breel Embolo's follow-up attempt. Cardinale produced another key save in the 64th minute, denying Goretzka again after the Schalke player had been teed up by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. However, Schalke were not to be denied in the 75th minute as Baba Rahman, on loan from Chelsea, ran into the area from the left to collect a return ball from Max Meyer before beating Cardinale low at his near post. Nice did not manage a shot on target until six minutes from the end when Balotelli burst into the box before seeing his shot saved by Ralf Fährmann. And they might have conceded again in stoppage time, but after Cardinale beat out a Meyer shot, Choupo-Moting struck the post. THE PLAYER: Mario Balotelli After his weekend heroics, this was a frustrating night for the Italy striker, although he came as close as anyone to scoring for Nice. THE STAT: 2 As in the number of wins Nice have enjoyed in their last 12 European games. Galtier: 'It's performance that counts' AS Saint-Etienne boss Christophe Galtier hailed his bench after the late 1-1 draw with Mainz; Nice boss Lucien Favre was keen to shield Mario Balotelli from criticism in the 1-0 defeat at home to Schalke 04. Thursday, September 15, 2016 UEFA Europa League Group C, Matchday 1 Opel Arena, Mainz 1. FSV Mainz AS Saint-Etienne Christophe Galtier (AS Saint-Etienne coach): "It's a always a point won when it's in the first game of a mini-league like this one. In the first half, we struggled to make space and lose our defenders. To score, we had to change the formation. I can rely on the entirety of my squad to show that it's performance that counts, not status. If we had started the match differently, I think we could have clinched a more positive result." Group I, Matchday 1 Allianz Riviera, Nice OGC Nice 0-1 FC Schalke 04 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 10

11 Lucien Favre (OGC Nice coach): "I expected to have a tough time against Schalke in terms of athletic capacity and movement. Still, I regret the fact that we couldn't keep it at 0-0. Schalke were very good and dominated us but we lost possession to often as we looked to play out of defence. We were too sloppy. As for Mario Balotelli's performance, we all know there is a lot of work to do. We were all very happy with his double against OM. He is ready to put in the effort. He needs to move a bit quicker but he always manages to do something positive or to hang onto the ball. If there is progress, even slightly, in the next few weeks, then that will be very positive." Markus Weinzierl ( Schalke 04 coach): "We're very satisfied with the performance and the result. It's a deserved win. We dominated the first half without scoring; we converted a bit late but we managed it. I didn't think we would dominate as much as we did but I had hoped to." 09/16/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 11