NEWSLETTER Week 21 LIGUE 1 CONFORAMA Week 20 review: Cesc steps up, PSG and Pépé roll on Spain star Cesc Fabregas impressed on debut for AS Monaco as the strugglers mixed it 1-1 with Marseille; PSG remain 13 points clear after downing Amiens, while Pépé-powered LOSC ploughed past Caen. There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for embattled AS Monaco boss Thierry Henry, and it contains the silhouette of Cesc Fabregas, who was rushed into the starting line-up to make the short trip to Marseille after his Friday-evening move from EPL giants Chelsea. The Spanish World Cup winner, partnered with promising Belgian Youri Tielemans in the centre of midfield, brought Monaco the poise and vision they have been lacking and coach Thierry Henry was duly impressed after his side rebounded from an early Maxime Lopez screamer as Aleksandr Golovin and Benjamin Henrichs combined to set up Tielemans for the leveller. "Cesc Fabregas got better as the minutes ticked by," said the Monaco boss, whose side remain in 19th place, four points shy of safety. "He managed to take the match in his grasp and read between the lines. We could have finished certains moves off better, but we're on the right track." Despite failing to win for an eighth consecutive match in all competitions - including a Coupe de France elimination at the hands of fourth-division Andrézieux - OM boss Rudi Garcia was happy with his side's spirit - despite a frosty welcome from the home fans. "The hostile reaction from the crowd didn't help, obviously. What counts is how the players responded out on the pitch, the solidarity that they showed even after the match," he explained. "The players' going to see the fans as a group was a nice image." Despite having two matches in hand over second-placed LOSC, PSG remain 13 points clear atop the Ligue 1 Conforama table following their 3-0 victory in Amiens on Saturday. A scoreless first half gave way to a goal-rich second, with Edinson Cavani - in the absence of a rested Neymar - striking from the spot before setting up Kylian Mbappé for a league-high 14th of the season. Marquinhos added a third late on. "We needed the win," said coach Thomas Tuchel, whose side had been eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue by Guingamp in mid-week - their first domestic cup defeat in five years. "Today we played with a lot of quality. We started very strongly. Amiens might have defended deep but the challenge for us was to find solutions. We were better today than against Guingamp. It was a good effort from the team, a good performance, and I am satisfied." LOSC may be one of the few teams to have played all 20 of their fixtures so far this season, but Christophe Galtier's men have been making the most of it - thanks notably to the irrepressible Nicolas Pépé, the driving force behind their win away to Caen on Friday night. After scoring the first, the 23-year-old Ivorian set up goals for Rafael Leao and substitue Luiz Araujo that left Zeki Celik's red card (85') and Casimir Ninga's consolation strike mere footnotes - but Galtier was keen to underline his side's collective quality. "Our team is more than just Nicolas Pépé," he tempered - even though, with 13 goals (second in the league) and seven assists (first in the league), he is the competition's most decisive player and in front of the likes of Eden Hazard and Cristiano Ronaldo. "I was happy to see three forward score tonight. If Nicolas is able to express himself out there, it's because there is also a huge amount of work being done by his teammates." The win saw LOSC pull four points clear of Olympique Lyonnais - who have a match in hand over Les Dogues - after Bruno Genesio's men were held to a 1-1 draw in Reims. Pablo Chavarria put the Champagne side ahead but Bertrand Traoré capped a sublime team move for the leveller. OL's arch-rivals Saint-Etienne pulled level on 33 points thanks to a 1-0 win away to bottom club Guingamp. Although the Brittany side were coming off their 2-1 Coupe de la Ligue BKT elimination of five-time reigning champions PSG, Wahbi Khazri's free-kick - which took the Tunisian international to 01/18/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2018/2019 - Ligue1.com 1
the first double-figure goal tally of his career - was enough to decide the encounter. Meanwhile, Guingamp's former coach Antoine Kombouaré was presiding over his first league match since taking the reins at Dijon, and it was a happy occasion as the 18th-placed Burgundy club broke a two-match league skid with a 1-1 draw at home to podium-chasing Montpellier. In-form Strasbourg made it four wins in a row in all competitions, building on their shock elimination of OL to reach the Coupe de la Ligue BKT semis in mid-week with a 2-1 win in Toulouse that took them sixth, while Julien Stéphan's resurgent Rennes trumped FC Nantes 1-0 at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Defender Damien Da Silva - who scored when Rennes knocked Les Canaris out fo the Coupe de la Ligue BKT a month ago - hit the only goal of the game. OGC Nice - with Mario Balotelli left out of the squad entirely - broke a six-match winless run in all competitions as Allan Saint-Maximin's spot-kick clinched a 1-0 win over Bordeaux at the Allianz Riviera. Due to security concerns, Angers SCO's visit to Nîmes Olympique was postponed until Tuesday, 23 January at 19:00 CET. Week 20 reactions - Henry: 'On the right track' AS Monaco boss Thierry Henry was cautiously optimistic after his side - featuring Cesc Fabregas - came back from an early goal draw 1-1 in Marseille, whose coach Rudi Garcia also liked what he saw from his embattled team. Sunday, January 13, 2019 Olympique de Marseille 1-1 AS Monaco Rudi Garcia (Olympique de Marseille coach): "The hostile reaction from the crowd didn't help, obviously. The players had to battle unaided by the fans. But that's how it is. We need to win matches and get our fans behind us again. What counts is how the players responded out on the pitch, the solidarity that they showed even after the match. The players' going to see the fans as a group was a nice image. But what was said between the supporters and the players remains between them." Thierry Henry (AS Monaco coach): "It's not easy when you quickly go a goal down, but we managed to get back into the match. It was different from our matches against Rimes and Lyon. It sparks hope. We had chances, as we had chances against Reims too. We're trying to make progress and I think we're on the right track. We're looking more and more like a team. We need points and we need to keep playing as a team, to keep doing what we've been doing. Tonight will have been a case of a point won if we can back it up with some victories." FC Nantes 0-1 Stade Rennais FC Vahid Halilhodzic (Nantes coach): "It's sad and frustrating but I don't blame my players. They gave everything. Did we deserve to lose? I don't know. Technically, it was not a high-quality game from our side, but we created chances and dominated possession. We were badly lacking a cutting edge, though. Now we'll have to work even harder." Julien Stéphan (Rennes coach): "I'm happy and satisfied to have won this derby. It was essential for us to win this match. Compared to Wednesday's cup exit to Monaco, it was day and night. We didn't always control the game as we gave the ball away too much, but we managed to keep Nantes down to about two chances. We were solid and organized. We're delighted. It's our fourth win on the bounce and we're climbing the table." Dijon FCO 1-1 Montpellier Hérault SC Antoine Kombouaré (Dijon coach): "This is a good point, won against a very good team, which has the second-best defence in Ligue 1. We knew it would be difficult and it was, especially in the first half, when Bobby Allain made a few saves. The second half was much better. We opened the scoring but alas we conceded too. We'll try to play better next time. I asked my players to try and be dangerous as quickly as possible today." Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "We had a lot of chances in the first half, but we failed to take them and hit the woodwork twice. It's a shame 01/18/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2018/2019 - Ligue1.com 2
we couldn't convert those chances. Dijon had chances too, but we could have won it late on. We need to develop a taste for winning." Toulouse FC 1-2 RC Strasbourg Alsace Alain Casanova (Toulouse coach): "I respect Strasbourg's victory, but we made it hard for ourselves. We only have ourselves to blame. We were too nervous defensively and we lacked discipline. It's a setback and a disappointing one, as the players were keen to follow up on the win against Nice in the Coupe de France. We have to get back to work quickly." Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "We were able to restore some calm after losing to Lyon in the cup. I congratulate my players for that. We won but we deserved to win. Now we have 29 points, our objective remains the same: to stay up by doing better than we did last season. There are still many pitfalls to watch out for and we would be happier with a bigger gap on the drop zone." Saturday, January 12, 2019 Amiens SC 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain Christophe Pelissier (Amiens coach): "We have some regrets. We knew we needed the perfect match, and for things to go in our favour. The planets have to be aligned for you against a team like that. We played ok for 60 minutes. Unfortunately, things went against us, like the superb chance we had just before half-time, and then the penalty and the sending-off. Against such a team, these things can't happen. We worked hard and never gave up. The last half-hour was very difficult. When we were down to 10 men and behind, it was insurmountable." Thomas Tuchel (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "We needed the win. The match against Guingamp was bizarre. Today we played with a lot of quality. We started very strongly. Draxler worked well between the lines. I am satisfied. Amiens might have defended deep but the challenge for us was to find solutions. We were better today than against Guingamp. It was a good effort from the team, a good performance, and I am satisfied." EA Guingamp 0-1 AS Saint-Etienne Jocelyn Gourvennec (Guingamp coach): "Saint-Etienne are a very good team and they controlled the game. You can't afford to go behind early on against a side like that. They are better than us - there is no debate about that - but even playing against a superior side we can do better than we did. We didn't start well - it took us a bit of time to get going. We still had two great chances, but was that enough to merit a point? In any case we didn't play at our best." Jean-Louis Gasset (Saint-Etienne coach): "We are very pleased. There were matches in the first half of the season where we played better and came away with just a point or with nothing. Today we struggled at times but we got the three points. We got a goal, had two or three other opportunities, but we also defended very well. For a team who are not quite ready physically, we have won in the Cup and now we have won 1-0 in a difficult game." OGC Nice 1-0 Girondins de Bordeaux Patrick Vieira (Nice coach): "We fought hard as a team to win a very difficult game against a good side. They controlled the game better than us. Regardless of the context, I want us to be consistent over 90 minutes and we were. I hope we continue like that. (On the departures of president Jean-Pierre Rivère and director general Julien Fournier) The last two days have been difficult for the players and for employees of the club. It is a big loss for the club. For me it does not call anything into question. I didn't see their departures coming. I am disappointed. But they have thought through their decision and I respect it. I will never give up." Éric Bédouet (Bordeaux coach): "We need to learn to score goals. We played well in the first half and we should have found a way back into the game. There comes a time where you need to score and kill the game. This is not amateur football. It is a recurring problem for us. We should not have lost this game. There is a lot of work to be done. The league is very tight. Everyone is still in with a chance. We could go on a run, but to do that we need to start scoring goals." Friday, January 11, 2019 01/18/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2018/2019 - Ligue1.com 3
Olympique Lyonnais 1-1 Stade de Reims Bruno Genesio (Lyon coach): "We weren't able to find a solution in the first half and conceded a goal on one of Reims' rare forays forward. The positive point of the evening is that we managed to get back level. But we could have done better, perhaps. There are good and bad periods. We have to be better together to allow individuals to express themselves better. Nabil [Fekir] had taken a blow to the ankle and he couldn't continue. I wouldn't have taken him off otherwise. We didn't have enough rhythm in our passes, in our play. The situation should have come from the flanks, but we didn't use them enough." David Guion (Reims coach): "We're really satisfied to take a point at Lyon. We were under a lot of pressure, but we were very disciplined, and showed the values we have done since the start of the season. We still could have held on to the ball better. It was difficult, but in the last 20 minutes there was space and we could have exploited that better. We had a good situation to go 2-1 up, but honestly, I think the draw was a fair result." SM Caen 1-3 LOSC Lille Fabien Mercadal (Caen coach): "I thought we started well, but then made a mistake with our defensive line and we paid for it, and when you're behind against that team, it becomes tough. To sum up the match, I think there was a difference in class. I don't do it all the time, but today I think I have to be positive about the game because I have nothing to reproach the team for. We didn't give up, we didn't collapse, we tried to stay in the match. I quickly understood that we had lost the game, but it will serve as a lesson for us." Christophe Galtier (Lille coach): "We had picked out quite a lot of things, and we had worked a lot during the winter break, even if there wasn't a lot of time between Sochaux and this evening. We had to take our chances, and above all we had to be very disciplined tactically. We also had to be strong defensively, especially in the air and in clearing second balls. It worked well for us. We scored twice and had good chances. I'm very happy with the team. I'm annoyed to finish with ten men, not that the red card wasn't justified, but that we were leading 2-0 and we didn't play the ball out as we should have, it leads to a situation and we're down to ten men. Sometimes, because of a goal or two conceded, you lose a place in the table, and they are hard-earned." Angers SCO-FC Nantes rescheduled The Ligue 1 Conforama Week 21 clash between Angers SCO and FC Nantes has been pushed back a day. At the request of the Prefecture of Maine-et-Loire, the Ligue 1 Conforama Week 21 match between Angers SCO and FC Nantes, initially set for 20:00 CET on Saturday, 19 January, has been rescheduled for 17:00 CET on Sunday 20 January. Mid-week reactions - Henry: 'Pretty weird' Monaco coach Thierry Henry had an unusual time against former teammate Patrick Vieira in the 1-1 draw with Nice; ASSE boss Jean-Louis Gasset was thrilled with a 2-1 win over OM as Sunday's derby with Lyon looms. Wednesday, 16 January 2019 Week 18 AS Monaco 1-1 OGC Nice Thierry Henry (AS Monaco coach): "A single point isn't enough, but we could be talking about a defeat right now as well. It will take time to get out of the drop zone. If we try to do it softly-softly, it won't be easy. But we need to be confident despite our lack of points. You could even say we're on a 01/18/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2018/2019 - Ligue1.com 4
positive dynamic now; it's great to go for a spell without losing. [On being in the opposite dugout from former Arsenal and France teammate Patrick Vieira] It was pretty weird. We played together for a long time, we did everything side by side. It was a little wink from destiny last night." Patrick Vieira (OGC Nice coach): "We're pretty frustrated. Things got tough for us when we went a man down, but I can't reproach my players for anything really. We could even have won it if we had scored our penalty [Diego Benaglio saved Allan Saint-Maximin's spot-kick]. After that, I don't think Monaco wold have been able to come back. Still, the draw was a fair result. I'm proud of the lads for holding out despite being a man down; they gave everything as they had no desire to lose. So I think tonight was a case of a point won." AS Saint-Etienne 2-1 Olympique de Marseille Jean-Louis Gasset (AS Saint-Etienne coach): "Did I thank [goalscorer Wahbi] Khazri? Why him? Thanks go to the whole team, the fans and [Stéphane] Ruffier, [Loïc] Perrin and [Yann] M'vila. Khazri just finished the job; he's the last link in the chain. He did is job just like the rest of the team. If you had told us at the beginning of the season that we would be above OL on the table heading into the derby [at home to Lyon on Sunday], we would have been very happy. We have deserved all our points and we clinched eight wins and two raws at home in the first half of the season. That shows that we have real spirit, just like our fans, who are with us all the way and know we will give our all. Now it's time to prepare for the derby." Rudi Garcia (Olympique de Marseille coach): "We need to be more effective at both ends fo the pitch. We did better tonight, but congratulations aren't really in order as we lost. We had a chance to make it 2-1 and we played a really high-level match against a strong Saint-Etienne side, but we came away empty-handed. It was mistake on our part, and when you can't win it, you should be able to make sure you don't lose. Still, we will get back to winning ways if we keep performing like this. We're on the right track." Toulouse FC 2-2 Olympique Lyonnais Bruno Genesio (Olympique Lyonnais coach): "Our matches all seem to be gong the same way lately. Maybe we should start off a goal behind, as it seems that once we concede, we're capable of amazing things because we have amazing players. Still, I'm happy with our never-say-die attitude and I believe it shows that we have a lot of potential. [On substitute Nabil Fekir] He responded to his critics in the best possible way. He is our captain and he stepped up in emphatic fashion. [On Sunday's derby against Saint-Etienne] We're alway obliged to win it; it's not just about the fact that we're neck and neck fighting for a top-three finish." Alain Casanova (Toulouse coach): "We have a bitter taste on our mouths because at 2-0 up, we thought we had it in the bag, but Lyon's forwards really put us under the pump in the second half. We were up against an excellent OL side after the break. It's a shame we conceded so quickly. There is plenty to be happy about, but still I'm a bit sad for the players." Nîmes Olympique 1-0 FC Nantes Bertrand Blaquart (Nîmes Olympique coach): "It's certainly better to see Emiliano Sala on the bench than in the starting line-up. But Nantes still put a lot of intensity into this match and they could have been ahead at half-time, as could we. They have players with individual quality, size and athletic power, and Vahid [Halilhodzic] has already put his brand on their play. Nantes are a strong side who will finish the top half of the table this season." Valentin Rongier (FC Nantes midfielder): "It's a defeat and we get zero points. We knew at half-time that we couldn't afford to concede a goal. Kalifa Coulibaly's red card [in the 45th minute] was the turning point. At 11 against 11, we could have won it; we had the upper hand. We had chances to score but we didn't take them and in the end we lost." Week 17 En Avant Guingamp 2-1 Stade Rennais FC Jocelyn Gourvennec (EA Guingamp coach): "There were lots of positive in this match, chief among them the fact that we got back to winning ways. We knew we were facing a team on an upswing so we had to start off by defending well - they have attacking power with some unpredictable forwards. We used the match against Paris [a 2-1 win in the Coupe de la Ligue BKT quarters] as our inspiration. This result is great for our 01/18/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2018/2019 - Ligue1.com 5
confidence." Julien Stéphan (Stade Rennais FC coach): "We got going too late; we had several chances in the final 20 minutes and I think we would have deserved a leveller as, although we conceded two goals, we hadn't conceded all that many chances. It's frustrating for us, and it's disappointing, but we have to move on as we have an important match at home to Montpellier on Sunday." Girondins de Bordeaux-Dijon FCO rescheduled The Ligue 1 Conforama Week 21 clash between Girondins de Bordeaux and Dijon FCO has been pushed back one day. At the request of the Prefecture of Gironde, the Ligue 1 Conforama Week 21 match between Girondins de Bordeaux and Dijon FCO, initially set for 20:00 CET on Saturday, 19 January, has been rescheduled for 19:00 CET on Sunday 20 January. LE SPIRO: Khazri gets Sainté dreaming of Champions League For the first time since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left in 2013, Saint-Etienne possess a veritable goalscorer and are setting their sights the Champions League qualification ahead of Sunday's derby, writes Matthew Spiro. When Wahbi Khazri blasted home a stunning late winner against Marseille on Wednesday night, the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard erupted with joy. It was the kind of moment that must have evoked memories of Dominique Rocheteau, Johnny Repp and Michel Platini among supporters of a certain age. Back in the 1970s, Les Verts were a continental force, and while there is no suggestion they'll reach another European final soon, there is now a very real possibility that Jean-Louis Gasset's charges will surge in to next season's Champions League. This famous old club is rocking again thanks to an unlikely hero. The inspiration behind Saint-Etienne's surge up to third - one place and two points above their rivals and this weekend's opponents Lyon - has been the diminutive but devilishly skilful and direct Tunisian Khazri. The explosive 27-year-old already has 12 league strikes to his name (only Nicolas Pépé, 13, and Kylian Mbappé, 14, have more), ten of which have been registered at the bubbling Chaudron. Many have been absolute beauties - stunning volleys (Guingamp), sizzling long-rangers (Monaco), swerving free-kicks (Nantes), or rasping shots in to the roof of the net (Dijon and Marseille) - and the Saint-Etienne faithful have well and truly taken Khazri to their hearts. This club has a long tradition of brilliant strikers, yet until the current campaign nobody had succeeded in filling the void left by Aubameyang. None of Nolan Roux, Alexander Soderlund, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Robert Beric or Loïs Diony were capable of meeting the fans' lofty expectations. Max-Alain Gradel impressively netted 17 goals in 2014-15, but he did so from the wing rather than a central position. Sunderland fans might be surprised to hear this, but Khazri is now threatening to join a very elite list by becoming Saint-Etienne's latest revered striker. For the majority of his career Khazri played as a wide forward or attacking midfielder. He started last season - in the English second tier with Sunderland - operating on the flank. It was from that position he had netted ten goals for Bastia in 2011-12 and then sporadically shone with Bordeaux. But the role never got the best of his ability, as a return of just three strikes in 38 league matches for a struggling Sunderland team suggests. The new, improved Khazri first surfaced during his loan spell at Rennes last term. Sabri Lamouchi had an injury crisis in attack and decided to use Khazri as his solitary forward in a 'false 9' role. It worked a treat, and after he had grabbed nine goals in 24 appearances, Khazri impressed in the same position for the Carthage Eagles at the 2018 World Cup. Rennes and Saint-Etienne subsequently faced off to try to secure Khazri's services on a permanent basis. Gasset and Saint-Etienne pushed hardest, and they won't be regretting those efforts today. Whether playing as a lone attacker, or alongside Diony, Saint-Etienne's number 10 has delivered. On course to reach the sacred 20-goal mark, Khazri 01/18/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2018/2019 - Ligue1.com 6
will be hoping to write his name further in to Saint-Etienne folklore this Sunday by inspiring a win in fixture that means more than any other to the supporters. Les Verts, who are unbeaten at home this season and have their passionate fans behind them, go in to the game with confidence. For once, they and not Lyon will possess the most feared attacker on the pitch. Win and they'll be five points clear of their neighbours in the race for Champions League qualification. And Khazri's transformation from Championship misfit to Ligue 1 star will be all but complete. Toulouse FC-Angers SCO rescheduled The Ligue 1 Conforama Week 21 clash between Toulouse FC and Angers SCO and FC Nantes has been pushed back one day. At the request of the Prefecture of Haute-Garonne, the Ligue 1 Conforama Week 22 match between Toulouse FC and Angers SCO, initially set for 20:00 CET on Saturday, 26 January, has been rescheduled for 17:00 CET on Sunday 27 January. COUPE DE FRANCE Coupe de France - Laurey: 'Dream big' Strasbourg boss Thierry Laurey made it clear his side will head to the Parc des Princes looking to to beat PSG after setting up a round of 32 clash in the capital with a 1-0 (a.e.t.) win over Grenoble in their rescheduled clash on Wednesday. Wednesday, 16 January 2019 Coupe de France, round of 64 Grenoble Foot 38 0-1 RC Strasbourg Alsace a.e.t. Philippe Hinschberger (Grenoble Foot 38): "It was a good cup match, with two sides prepared to go all-out in attack. Strasbourg didn't surprise me; that's what they do at the highest level in Ligue 1 Conforama. We tried our hearts out but weren't rewarded. Overall, we rose to the occasion; we pushed Strasbourg to extra-time and it was an open, attractive game that saw both 'keepers shine. We just need to process the result and hang onto the positives from our performance." Thierry Laurey (RC Strasbourg Alsace): "I think we deserved to qualify as we had the best chances. We rested quite a few players ahead of our league clash with Monaco, which is an important match. Overall, this was a good evening with lads who got the job done. They had a real team spirit and that's the most important thing. [On round of 32 opponents PSG] When I play against Paris, I prefer to dream big. You have nothing to lose, so you might as well aim high! I'm happy to be headed there as it will be an excellent experience for us, and especially our younger players. It's a great adventure and the lads really earned it tonight." 01/18/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2018/2019 - Ligue1.com 7