Despite pressure from victorious Monaco and PSG, Nice remain atop the Ligue 1 standings thanks to a hard-fought win in Saint-Etienne;

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1 NEWSLETTER LIGUE 1 Week 13 review: Nice keep chasers at bay Despite pressure from victorious Monaco and PSG, Nice remain atop the Ligue 1 standings thanks to a hard-fought win in Saint-Etienne; Lyon pulled up to the foot of the podium while Marseille got their first win under Rudi Garcia. With Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain claiming wins to go level on points with the league leaders, OGC Nice were under considerable pressure as they travelled to Saint-Etienne on Sunday evening but Lucien Favre's men got the job done - thanks to Valentin Eysseric's lone strike (63') - and maintained their three-point buffer atop the standings. "Given the match as a whole, we deserved to win," said Favre before making sure no-one got carried away. "We struggled. We lost the ball in dangerous areas. We could have scored a second goal but let's not forget that at 0-0, (Saint-Etienne's Nolan) Roux missed an important header. It would have been tough had we gone behind to a team as hard to move around and well-organised as Saint-Etienne." The win kept Nice in top spot for an eighth consecutive week, but things are unlikely to get any easier for Les Aiglons. Nearest rivals Monaco looked in fine form as they kicked the weekend off with a 3-0 win away to bottom club Lorient, whose new boss Bernard Casoni might have hoped for a better first match in charge despite his side's doing well in the first half. Monaco captain and resurgent striker Radamel Falcao - who now has five goals in seven appearances this season - got things started (64') before superb free-kicks from Thomas Lemar (67') and Gabriel Boschilia (90'+3) rounded out the comprehensive win that sent the principality club into provisional top spot. Not to be outdone, champions Paris Saint-Germain continued their string of results with a solid 2-0 win at home to FC Nantes, pulling level with Monaco - but trailing on goal difference behind Europe's best attack - thanks to Angel Di Maria's opener (13') and substitute Jesé's first goal in French football, from the spot late on (90'). "It was not easy to be 100 per cent focused for this match. We wanted to build on our previous home game against Rennes [a 4-0 win in Week 12] but after the international break and with the Champions League up ahead it was difficult," explained PSG coach Unai Emery, before hinting at positive fitness news for Di Maria who, along with the briefly fit-again Javier Pastore, was forced off injured. "We think Angel Di Maria will be ready for Wednesday's game [away to Arsenal in a crucial Champions League clash]." While the top three were busy jockeying for position, Olympique Lyonnais gave the best indication so far that they are getting on the right side of their form slump - by disposing of struggling ten-man LOSC 1-0 in Lille to make it three wins in a row and pull up to the foot of the podium. "I was reassured by what I saw. We didn't concede away from home, and I thought the team was more structured and played more," said coach Bruno Genesio, whose side sit in fourth, level on points and goal difference with Guingamp but in front on head-to-head record, following Maxwel Cornet's early winner (3'). "We're still not clinical enough to make ourselves comfortable. We were afraid at the end of the game, and we sat deeper and deeper. We're not cured. We need to put a run together." There was much celebrating in Marseille on Sunday evening as OM clinched the first win of the Rudi Garcia era, 1-0 over SM Caen thanks to giant Portuguese defender Rolando's header (81'). Much has been made of the recent revolution in Marseille, with US tycoon Frank McCourt buying the club and initiating an ambitious new project, but it seems that everyone at the southern giants knows that the most important thing is getting results out on the pitch. 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 1

2 "We managed to get one of our 14 shots on target and I would have been pleased with the display even if we hadn't won. We've still got a lot of work to do in terms of the final ball and our finishing," said the former Lille and AS Roma boss. "The players were happy to offer the win to the new owner and Frank McCourt wanted to keep the match ball. He's right to do that as this was the first home win. Above all, I am happy for the players." The win takes OM to the brink of the top half of the table, level on 17 points with Metz, who claimed a third away win of the season by disposing of Toulouse 2-1. The TFC's early-season bubble seems to have burst - Pascal Dupraz's former league leaders are now winless in three and sit in eighth place, a full ten points behind the top three. Bordeaux were left wincing when Jimmy Briand's late strike (90'+3) clinched Guingamp a 1-1 draw after Jérémy Ménéz had missed a penalty, while AS Nancy-Lorraine moved to the very edge of the relegation zone - level on 12 points with struggling FC Nantes - with their second win in three, a 1-0 victory over fellow promotees Dijon, who slip to 14th. SC Bastia and Montpellier played out a 1-1 draw in Corsica while Angers' Nicolas Pepe bagged his first senior goal for the club to rescue a point 1-1 from a disastrous Brittany derby in Rennes that saw the Black and Whites reduced to nine men by the final whistle. Week 13 reactions - Favre: 'We struggled' OGC Nice coach Lucien Favre admitted that his side were up against it in Saint-Etienne but felt that his side deserved the 1-0 win that kept them three points clear a top the Ligue 1 table. All the Week 13 reactions. Sunday, November 20, 2016 AS Saint-Etienne 0-1 OGC Nice Christophe Galtier (AS Saint-Etienne coach): "In the first half, we had more chances than Nice, but they're a team against whom you really don't want to fall behind. As soon as we fell behind, things got really tough. In terms of attacking play, everyone knows that Nice are superior to us, but with a bit more determination and a bit more rigour, we could have taken the lead and it would have been a different match. The trend is that sides who open the scoring tend to win, but we still have a problem in terms of efficiency. When you're not scoring, it's no surprise when you don't win a lot of matches." Lucien Favre (OGC Nice coach): "Given the match as a whole, we deserved to win. We struggled. We lost the ball in dangerous areas. Saint-Etienne could have scored. It could have cost us dearly. We had to play well going forward and in defence. That's what we tried to do. We could have scored a second goal but let's not forget that at 0-0, (Saint-Etienne's Nolan) Roux missed an important header. It would have been tough had we gone behind to a team as hard to move around and well-organised as Saint-Etienne." Olympique de Marseille 1-0 SM Caen Rudi Garcia (Marseille coach): "We managed to get one of our 14 shots on target and I would have been pleased with the display even if we hadn't won. We've still got a lot f work to do in terms of the final ball and our finishing. Caen had beaten Nice, the leaders, in similar circumstances. The players were happy to offer the win to the new owner and Frank McCourt wanted to keep the match ball. He's right to do that as this was the first home win. Above all, I am happy for the players." Patrice Garande (Caen coach): "I'm a bit frustrated. One part of the plan worked and that was the defensive part. We didn't use the ball at all well in the first half. We were a bit better in the second half but didn't manage to get shots in and that's not like us. You can't win matches purely by being strong defensively." EA Guingamp 1-1 Girondins de Bordeaux Antoine Kombouaré (Guingamp coach): "The missed penalty was the turning point because I don't think we'd have come back from 2-0 down. We send our congratulations to Kalle Johnsson as he kept us alive. We played well in the second half and had the better chances so I think the equaliser 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 2

3 was deserved as it was our reward for the lads pushing hard and putting in so much effort once again." Jocelyn Gourvennec (Bordeaux coach): "The end of the match was very frustrating. We had been effective up until that point and controlled the match. We had a great chance to go 2-0 up and, in general, when you don't take that chance it knocks you back and gives the opposition a boost. Our problem this afternoon was that we tried to sit on our lead too much and we dropped two points at the death." Saturday, 19 November, 2016 Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 FC Nantes Unai Emery (PSG coach): "It was not easy to be 100 per cent focused for this match. Nantes played well defensively. We wanted to build on our previous home game against Rennes [a 4-0 win in Week 12] but after the international break and with the Champions League up ahead it was difficult. The three points are important for the rest of the season. Some players came into the team today and it was good for competition. It was time to rest [Edinson] Cavani after his pain against Rennes. We think [Angel Di Maria] will be ready for Wednesday's game [against Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League]. René Girard (Nantes coach): "We can be disappointed with the result. It was a good game, we caused problems for PSG. Unfortunately, we conceded at the wrong time. We have regrets but when I see my boys play like this it gives me hope. There are two complicated matches ahead and we will do everything to get out of this uncomfortable position we are in. We played well, but we need a little more confidence to be effective." AS Nancy Lorraine 1-0 Dijon FCO Pablo Correa (Nancy coach): "It's an important victory. It was won on the small details. It is important for us to show that we are in this championship for a reason. Apart from the match in Monaco [a 6-0 defeat in Week 12] we are improving. We knew the importance of this game. Today, running constantly allowed us to stretch our opponents. I am not looking at the relegation zone. I fear that at the end of the season, not the beginning!" Olivier Dall'oglio (Dijon coach): "I'm not satisfied with the collective performance of my team. We were average. We failed to continue our good run, but I'm especially annoyed by our performance. I would have liked to have seen more technical quality in my team. Half my team was absent. They didn't obey instructions. They were asked to keep it simple and when they got out there they forgot. We need to empower the players. If our teamwork is not at 100 per cent we do not have the individual ability to make the difference." Stade Rennais FC 1-1 Angers SCO Christian Gourcuff (Rennes coach): "It's so hard to win points when you play like that. It's obviously annoying. We do not learn from our mistakes. It is a lack of maturity that does not allow us to achieve our ambitions. In the first half we saw some good things, with some good distribution before the goal. Angers are not a team that forgive you for giving up the ball though." Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "I am very proud of the players tonight because we were shorthanded and we started badly, unlike Rennes. We came back into it at the end of the first half. In the end I think given how much we put into it, it's a fair result. This is the DNA of the team, we never give up, even when things are difficult. I find that beautiful." SC Bastia 1-1 Montpellier Hérault SC François Ciccolini (Bastia coach): "We had a good first half and an average second. When you do not kill matches off you are punished. We lost the midfield battle in the second half. We covered for the absences of [Yannick] Cahuzac and [Jean-Louis] Leca, so that is something, but some of the players were not ready. The fans have a right to be disappointed. My problem now is picking a competitive team for next week." Frédéric Hantz (Montpellier coach): "We were in trouble in the first half. In fact, the whole game we played at 90 per cent. The result is satisfactory for us, it is never easy to come to Bastia. We had the potential to do better but we couldn't manage to. We took a point anyway, and move forward. I hope and I am confident that both Bastia and Montpellier will stay up." 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 3

4 Toulouse FC 1-2 FC Metz Pascal Dupraz (Toulouse coach): "We were lacking determination. My players were still in the changing room when we conceded the second goal. We suffered a setback with our second consecutive home defeat and the responsibility for that is the coach's. We are a young team and we must assume that we can have a good season, even though we lost tonight against Metz." Philippe Hinschberger (Metz coach): It was a difficult game from the first to the last minute, but we handled it pretty well. We did not come here only to defend but also to play. We managed to ruffle Toulouse's feathers at home. We stopped the rot after five games without a win. Now we must continue." Friday, 18 November, 2016 FC Lorient 0-3 AS Monaco Bernard Casoni (Lorient coach): "I'm disappointed for my players. It's true that 3-0 is harsh, even if Monaco are a very good team. The main problem was that we conceded a goal when we were in a good spell, when we weren't in danger, and that changed the match. We had chances at 2-0 to get back into it. We have to finish the chances we create. I think it was a very good first half. In terms of the effort they put in, defending by going forward, putting more intensity in, the players did what was asked of them. It gives you some hope as we won't always face Monaco." Leonardo Jardim (Monaco coach): "We didn't take advantage of a lot of situations in the first half. We had three, four good situations where we had a man over and we could have scored. Our opponents were also ambitious, pressed high, and tried to put on a lot of pressure. In the second half, I think we were better, especially in the last 30 minutes. We scored three goals and I think the win is deserved." LOSC 0-1 Olympique Lyonnais Frédéric Antonetti (LOSC coach): "We had a difficult start, which took us a bit further down. After that, against a good Lyon side, we have nothing to be ashamed of. We sometimes matched them. What is a shame is that we are playing these big teams at home when we're in a bad spell and have a lot of injuries. With ten men, and having conceded an early goal, we could have collapsed, but we didn't. It's hard. The context isn't easy, but I think that come the end of March, the club will be in a much better position, because we have reasons to be optimistic. We have to be able to come through difficult situations." Bruno Genesio (Lyon coach): "We had a good first half, but unfortunately we didn't take advantage of our domination. After Sankharé's red card, we couldn't decide whether or not to sit on our lead or build on it. We were fortunate at the end and we might have had some regrets. I was reassured by what I saw. We didn't concede away from home, and I thought the team was more structured and played more. We're still not clinical enough to make ourselves comfortable. We were afraid at the end of the game, and we sat deeper and deeper. We're not cured. We need to put a run together." Antonetti dismissed by LOSC LOSC confirmed on Tuesday that they'd parted company with coach Frédéric Antonetti. Contracted until 2020, Antonetti became the third coaching casualty of the Ligue 1 season, after Franck Passi at Marseille and Sylvain Ripoll at Lorient. Antonetti's role will be assumed on an interim basis by Patrick Collot, his former assistant. Antonetti spent exactly a year in charge of Lille and took the club to the Coupe de la Ligue final last season. He leaves LOSC second-bottom of the Ligue 1 table. In a statement Antonetti said: "It is with profound regret that I am leaving LOSC. Despite my disappointment, I would like to thank the members of my coaching staff, the players, the club employees and the supporters. I wish everyone involved in the club the chance to relive the moments of joy and communion we had last season when we finished in fifth, a position we couldn't have hoped for." 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 4

5 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Lyon guarantee Europa League spot with Zagreb win Olympique Lyonnais guaranteed third place in UEFA Champions League Group H with a 1-0 over GNK Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. Alexandre Lacazette scored to separate the sides (72'). Tuesday 22 November, 2016 UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, Group H Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb NK Dinamo Zagreb 0-1 Olympique Lyonnais THE MATCH: Olympique Lyonnais made the 1,000 kilometre journey due east to Zagreb knowing that their hosts Dinamo had not managed a goal - let alone a point- in this season's competition, and they started in fittingly confident form. Rafael tested home goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic after cutting inside from the right (6') before Jordan Ferri saw a deflected shot bounce back off the crossbar (28'). Lyon bossed possession, ending the first half with 65 per cent of the ball, and they were unlucky not to take a 1-0 lead into the interval when Mathieu Valbuena got site of goal at the end of the half, but the winger's swerving effort was punched clear by Livakovic (41'). Rafael and Ferri proved dangerous again minutes into the second half, this time combining to test the home goal. Rafael burst into the box and Ferri picked possession up off the Brazilian's toe before blasting a shot straight down Livakovic's throat (48'). Rafael went from near-maker to near-taker soon after, trying for goal himself for once instead of teeing up a teammate, only to see his shot parried (51'). OL beat Dinamo Zagreb 7-1 back in 2011, with Bafétimbi Gomis, now of Olympique de Marseille, sealing the competitions fastest-ever hat-trick. It wasn't the same plain sailing against the Croatians on Tuesday, but Bruno Génésio's side eventually found a way through inside the final 20 minutes, with Lacazette tapping home yet another Rafael cross (72') to seal his first European goal of the season and give his side a 1-0 win. THE PLAYER: Rafael Lacazette may have got the goal but Rafael was unavoidably the best player on the pitch in Croatia. The Brazil full-back could have had a hat-full of assists and even goals but for a matter of centimetres. THE STAT: 100 Lyon maintained their 100 per cent record over Dinamo Zagreb. They have now beaten the Croatian champions a perfect four times from four, with an aggregate scoreline of /25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 5

6 Monaco beat Spurs to book Champions League progress AS Monaco punched their ticket into the UEFA Champions League last 16 with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur FC. Djibril Sidibé (48') and Tomas Lemar (53') scored to drown out Harry Kane's penalty (48') for the visitors. Tuesday 22 November, 2016 UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, Group E Stade Louis II, Monaco AS Monaco 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur FC THE MATCH: Monaco welcomed Tottenham to the Stade Louis II knowing that a single point was all they needed to book their progress to the knock-out stages, and they had the perfect opportunity to take the lead when Fabinho was felled by Eric Dier in the box, but Radamel Falco saw the resulting penalty saved by Hugo Lloris (11'). Monaco won the previous fixture 2-1 and they looked just a comfortable in front of a partisan principality crowd as they had done at Wembley in September, despite that early setback, with Valère Germain fizzing the ball past Lloris, but also the France captain's goal, after swift counter (35'). Lloris - a three-time Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year in his time with Olympique Lyonnais - then denied Lemar (43'), and the teams went in at the interval without a goal (43'). That changed minutes after the restart. Left-back Benjamin Mendy whizzed past Harry Winks before firing a cross into the Tottenham box and Sidibé, having bombed forward from the opposite flank, headed home from close range (48'). Kane pulled one back for Spurs, with the England international converting a penalty of his own past Danijel Subasic for his first ever Champions League goal (52'), but the visitors' joy was short-lived, with Lemar making amends for his earlier miss by firing the ball through Kevin Trippier's legs and into Lloris' goal for 2-1 (53'). Lloris had been given a round of applause by both sets of fans in his pre-match warm-up, and the Spurs keeper earned every ounce of that respect past the hour clawing away a Bernardo Silva shot at the last (63'), before pulling off a stunning reflex save from Kamil Glick from point-blank range (68'). Dele Alli had a late chance to snatch a share of the spoils after finding himself unmarked from a Christian Eriksen corner, but he shot wide (86') and Monaco held on for a deserved three points. THE PLAYER: Djibril Sidibé Sidibé was everywhere for Monaco, keeping opposite number Danny Rose on the back foot throughout, and having a direct hand in both goals for the home side. The 24-year-old is now a regular in Didier Deschamps' France side, and for the uninitiated, this was the perfect showcase as to why. THE STAT: 5 Monaco have now progressed to the knock-out stages in five of their previous six Champions League campaigns. 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 6

7 Monaco, Lyon share delight Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim and his Lyon counterpart Bruno Genesio were equally delighted after a memorable evening of Champions League action for Ligue 1 clubs. Tuesday 22 November, 2016 UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, Group E Stade Louis II, Monaco AS Monaco 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur FC Leonardo Jardim (Monaco coach): "I'm very happy with the qualification, with top spot in the group, and with the team's performance. It's already a very good Champions League season as the first two objectives have been attained. Now we have third objective: qualifying for the quarter-finals. My players have shown a lot of quality over the last four months and have played with great intensity. I would like to congratulate them." Djibril Sidibé (Monaco defender): "I'm always happy to put in a good display. We saw how good the spirit is within the team tonight. The most important thing is that we've qualified and what shines through is that we've got a team that wants to play attacking football, something we proved again in this match as we attacked from the off. We stayed focused and we knew that sooner or later we'd get chances and we stuck them away. It's great that we're going through as group winners and that's something we're going to savour before thinking about our future ambitions in this competition." Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham manager): "Hugo [Lloris] was fantastic like normal. He kept us in the game and had some good actions after we conceded the second goal. As for Monaco, it's hard to know if they'll get to the quarters, semis or the final. In football anything can happen. I wish them all the best." UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, Group H Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb NK Dinamo Zagreb 0-1 Olympique Lyonnais Bruno Genesio (Lyon coach): "The Sevilla game will be an extraordinary match in our stadium, a bit like the Monaco game we had in the league there last season. I'm happy we've still got a chance of going through when, once the draw was made, all the great football specialists announced that we'd be battling for third place with Dinamo Zagreb. We're proud to have everything to play for in our final group game. It was frustrating it took so long for us to make the breakthrough. In terms of our style we can definitely do better, but I'm very satisfied in any case." Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon forward): "The result means we can still believe in our chances. For the goal, I was waiting for a pass from Rafael and I called for him to give it to me. Fortunately he heard me and played me a perfect pass. From a personal standpoint it was a difficult evening but I came back well and that's good for me and the team." Ivaylo Petev (Dinamo Zagreb coach): "The most important thing is that my players showed real motivation and passion. I believe we played well tactically, we had several excellent chances and it's a pity we didn't score a goal. We conceded after our mistake, but we have to learn from this and we can't let these things happen again. This is a good lesson, and we have to continue to work hard." 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 7

8 PSG take pole position A 2-2 draw at Arsenal lifted Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain above Arsenal and to the top of UEFA Champions League Group A on head-to-head record. Wednesday 23 November, 2016 UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, Group A Emirates Stadium, London Arsenal FC 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain PSG were the vastly superior team and unfortunate not to win it as Edinson Cavani had several late chances to make it 3-2. A home win over Ludogorets on Matchday 6 and Unai Emery's side are guaranteed to top the section. The first half saw Paris dominate and Kieran Gibbs had already cleared off the line from Thiago Silva before Cavani opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Blaise Matuidi, operating in an advanced position on the left, eased away from Shkodran Mustafi and fired across goal for Cavani to bundle in his fifth Champions League goal in as many games this season. The Uruguayan international had also given PSG an early lead in the home fixture against Arsenal in a match which finished 1-1. The controlled football in the first half was all from the visitors but the Gunners were given a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Grzegorz Krychowiak fouled Alexis Sanchez. The in-form Olivier Giroud, recalled to the Arsenal starting line-up, rolled the ball into the bottom right corner as Alphonse Areola was unable to repeat his penalty-saving heroics of Ludogorets away. The second half was thrilling from start to finish and both sides had chances, including Lucas hitting the bar with a free-kick, before Arsenal moved in front on the hour. It was a shocking goal from PSG's point of view as Marquinhos' attempted clearance after an Aaron Ramsey shot bounced off Marco Verratti and into the net. Paris regained their composure in an impressive manner and Hatem Ben Arfa came on for Krychowiak to add extra attacking threat. The substitution worked as in the 77th minute Ben Arfa's corner found the unmarked Lucas and the Brazilian's header flicked off the top of Alex Iwobi's head and beyond former Nice goalkeeper David Ospina. 2-2 had PSG provisionally ahead of Arsenal in the group but Emery's men went looking for the winner that would have sealed first position on the night. Cavani failed to chip Ospina a couple of minutes after Lucas' goal, then scuffed a shot from a tight angle, and later headed wide when well placed. PSG will nevertheless be highly satisfied with their evening's work and will back themselves to get the result they require against Ludogorets in a fortnight. THE PLAYER: Edinson Cavani Cavani scored in both games against Arsenal but also missed a string of chances in both games. THE STAT: 1 PSG have lost only once in the 19 Champions League matches Cavani has scored in. 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 8

9 Emery: 'Delighted' Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery with the performance that saw his side draw 2-2 away to Arsenal and take top spot in Group A heading into the final group-stage clash with Ludogorets in a fortnight's time. Wednesday 23 November, 2016 UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, Group A Emirates Stadium, London Arsenal FC 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain Arsène Wenger (Arsenal coach): "I think that we brought some real intensity to this match. We showed that we could mix it and we even dominated at times. But we let PSG play comfortably at the beginning of the match before we came back, and then we didn't keep up the pressure. We were up against a very high-quality team and we struggled with our positioning on the pitch." Unai Emery (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "It was important to leave here in first place. The team deserved the draw, deserves to be first. It was a good test today to see how we are as a team on the pitch. I'm satisfied. We worked well to put pressure on a team that likes to have the ball. The result is fair. It would have been good to score our clear-cut chances just after equalising at 2-2. I'm delighted with the team's attitude." EUROPA LEAGUE Nice crash out, Sainté book berth OGC Nice are out of the competition despite a strong performance in their 2-0 defeat away to Schalke 04, while AS Saint-Etienne clinched their place in the last 32 with a 0-0 draw at home to Mainz. Thursday, November 24, 2016 UEFA Europa League Matchday 5, Group I Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen FC Schalke 04 - OGC Nice Despite turning in one of their best performances of the competition so far, a much-changed Nice side couldn't get the win away to Schalke that they needed in order to salvage their chances of a place in the Europa League's last 32. Back in the formation they favoured earlier in the season, Nice looked the more solid side in the first half and could have set the match on a much different course had Anastasios Donis, making his first start of the season, got his sweet 30-metre drive on target instead of seeing it come crashing back off the bar (13'). And then, a minute later, Les Aiglons were a goal down, 'keeper Yoan Cardinale fumbling Max Meyer's shot and allowing Evgen Konoplyanka to pounce and finish in to the empty net (14'). It was a hammer blow for Nice's morale and, even though coach Lucien Favre rang the changes and brought on the attack-minded Vincent Marcel and Alassane Plea on the hour-mark, Schalke ran away with it in the second half, dominating play and killing off the match - and Nice's European 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 9

10 campaign - when Dennis Aogo converted from the spot (80', pen.). Bernard Tekpetey's late red card (90'+3) changed nothing and now Favre's men return their attentions to domestic duties, where they will look to defend their top spot in Ligue against Bastia this weekend. Group C Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne AS Saint-Etienne - 1. FSV Mainz 05 Saint-Etienne made sure of their place in the last 32, the 0-0 draw at home to Mainz assuring them of at least second place in Group C. Although their lead over third-placed Mainz is only three points, head-to-head goal difference is in favour of Les Verts after the two sides drew 1-1 in Germany on Matchday 1. Coming off a league loss to Nice at the weekend, Christophe Galtier's men looked set on impressing in the first half, playing some inspired - but ultimately imprecise - football and coping well when Mainz hit on the break. The German side, looking to pip their French opponents to second place in the group, ramped it up in front of their own fans in the second half and created several scoring chances. Sainté midfielder Ole Selnaes came close to gifting the hosts an opener as he got a boot to Daniel Brosinski's low, hard cross, but Stéphane Ruffier managed to reel in the wayward ball (51'). The ASSE 'keeper was called on minutes later to do battle with the on-rushing John Cordoba, who had rounded Florentin Pogba on the edge of the area, and the giant glovesman proved equal to the task as he fisted the shot clear (53'). Saint-Etienne came close to pinching a late win - which would have seen them level on points with Group C leaders Anderlecht going into their Matchday 6 clash, but Oussama Tannane's crisp shot, which capped a fine run into the area - cannoned back off the post (82'). Galtier and his men will nonetheless be delighted with the result that assures them of a place among the competition's last 32 sides, and will be looking to get a result in Belgium in a fortnight's time - and possibly end the group stage atop the standings. Galtier: 'Happy for French football' AS Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier underlined the boost that his side's qualification for the last 32 will give France's UEFA index ranking; OGC Nice boss Lucien Favre was circumspect after elimination at the hands of Schalke. Thursday, November 24, 2016 UEFA Europa League Matchday 5, Group C Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne AS Saint-Etienne - 1. FSV Mainz 05 Christophe Galtier (AS Saint-Etienne coach): "The main thing was to qualify. How well we started the match was on par with how much we struggled afterwards. The match started at a fair clip and that demanded a lot of intensity, like a Bundesliga match. In the second half, we really struggled at times. But the lads managed to respond to the physical demands. I'm happy for French football in terms of how this will help our ranking on the UEFA index, but also for the club's finances and for our fans, who will have at least one more European evening this season." Martin Schmidt (1. FSV Mainz 05 coach): "We turned in a solid performance. We dominated and we had possession. In the second half, we had a couple of clear-cut chances but we lacked precision. The draw wasn't enough and unfortunately we're eliminated now, but it was before tonight that blew our chances in this competition. We ended up paying for Saint-Etienne's late equaliser in our first meeting (1-1 in Germany) - that's the real reason we're now out of the competition. Saint-Etienne defended well." 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 10

11 Group I Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen FC Schalke 04 - OGC Nice Markus Weinzierl (FC Schalke 04 coach): "It was a deserved win. We can be satisfied with the result and the fact that we have five wins from five in the Europa League group stage. We took the lead at the perfect time. The second goal proved to be decisive. We stood very firm defensively and we gave nothing away against the team who are currently at the top of Ligue 1. The young players did well and were very committed." Lucien Favre (OGC Nice coach): "That's how it goes. We were expecting it a bit. We made a hash of our start to the competition in the first two matches. Overall in our Europa League campaign, we weren't effective enough in attack or in defence. We lacked a bit of bottle, and patience too at times. We're out of the competition, but we didn't turn in bad performances - tonight we saw lots of positives for the future." 11/25/2016 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 11