NEWSLETTER Week 29 LIGUE 1 Week 28 review: OM fire with top sides locked Marseille were the weekend's big winners, trumping Lorient 4-1 away to climb to sixth, while the title race remains poised following wins for Monaco, Paris and Nice, as does the race for fourth place after Lyon's 1-1 draw in Bordeaux. After losses to Paris in the league and Monaco in the Coupe de France, Olympique de Marseille finally had a chance to showcase their improvement under new boss Rudi Garcia away to Lorient on Sunday afternoon, running out 4-0 winners in match that featured a sensational strike from prodigal son Dimitri Payet. "What I said to the players at the end of the match was that it wasn't an easy game, but we made it one by scoring two goals inside 15 minutes. After that, we were able to press home our advantage," said Garcia, whose side leap-frogged Saint-Etienne into sixth place - appoint off Bordeaux and five shy of Lyon in fourth. "We shouldn't have conceded the goal we conceded, but we'll highlight the three points and that, despite the Coupe de France and the 120 minutes in the week, we finished the week well - that was the most important thing." Marseille weren't the only side to score four goals, leaders AS Monaco capping the weekend's action with a 4-0 win at home to FC Nantes. Rising star Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace to move to nine strikes for the season and help keep his side in top spot after a 13th win in 16 matches in all competitions. "The first half wasn't so easy; this Nantes side transition well and press hard with four players up front. But, by scoring two more before half-time, we killed off the match," said coach Leonardo Jardim, who side are firing on all cylinders ahead of the return leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at home to Manchester City on March 15. "Tonight we attacked well while staying organised. That's great. Kylian [Mbappé] is making progress - he is more clinical in the area, in his positioning and with his runs. I congratulated him when he came off." The result put Paris Saint-Germain three points adrift once more after the capital club had pulled provisionally level on points with a somewhat laboured 1-0 win at home to Nancy. Pablo Correa's side fought hard to highlight Paris' difficulties in breaking down defence-minded sides - as Niort did in the Coupe de France in mid-week - but Unai Emery's men got the job done as Ligue 1 top scorer Edinson Cavani struck from the spot (80'). "We picked up three important points for the championship. Three points are also psychologically useful for the match on Wednesday. We have to keep this spirit up," said Emery, wary despite Barcelona's needing a record-breaking win to overhaul PSG's 4-0 first-leg win and pip the capital club to a place in the Champions League quarters. "We played a good match, attacked a lot, although in defence we conceded two chances, but we'll try to improve. I'm happy for the team. The players are very motivated but the 90 minutes in Barcelona will be very hard." The win put Paris provisionally ahead of title rivals Nice, who played later in the evening, but Les Aiglons pulled back level thanks - once again - to a lone strike from highly rated young midfielder Wylan Cyprien, who took his season tally to eight in the 1-0 win in Dijon. "We took three points. We're on 62 so it's a good victory! It was difficult but nothing is easy in Dijon. They were dangerous at times. We had to stay calm and patient," said Nice boss Lucien Favre, who had praise for his goal-scorer, who has struck to clinch 1-0 wins in three of the club's last five league outings, keeping them in the title picture and taking the pressure off an out-of-sorts front line. "Wylan Cyprien scored a fine goal. His timing was excellent." Friday night's clash between Bordeaux and Lyon was a potentially decisive fixture in the race for fourth place - a win for the hosts would have got them to within two points of fourth-placed Lyon. While Valentin Vada had Jocelyn Gourvennec's men in the driver's seat after 16 minutes, young Argentine 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 1
stopper Emmanuel Mammana replied late on with his first Ligue 1 strike to keep Les Gones five points clear of their nearest rivals. Saint-Etienne's bid for a European finish stagnated further as they were held to a 0-0 away to a 19th-placed Bastia side looking to turn their season around under new coach Rui Almeida, while Rennes denied 15th-placed FC Metz three important points in their bid for safety as Wesley Saïd struck late for a 1-1 draw. After sitting in 19th place towards the end of January, Angers moved into the top half of the table thanks to a 3-2 win in Caen - their fifth victory in a row in all competitions - to back up their winning through to the Coupe de France quarter-finals in mid-week. The win sets Stéphane Moulin's clear of Guingamp and Montpellier, who ground out a 1-1 draw in the south-west. Toulouse were high-flyers early in the season and while they may not be winning as much as before, Pascal Dupraz's men have recovered from a tough start to 2017 and stretched their unbeaten run to six Ligue 1 matches with a 1-1 draw at home to LOSC. Yassine Benzia secured a precious point for Franck Passi's struggling side to further boost their confidence after having booked a Coup de France quarters berth in mid-week. Week 28 reactions - Jardim: 'Mbappé making progress' AS Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim had plenty of praise for two-goal youngster Kylain Mbappé after the 4-0 win over Nantes, whose coach Sergio Conceiçao assumed responsibility for his side's first defeat in five matches. Sunday, March 5, 2017 AS Monaco 4-0 FC Nantes Leonardo Jardim (AS Monaco coach): "The first half wasn't so easy; this Nantes side transition well and press hard with four players up front. But, by scoring two more before half-time, we killed off the match. Things got easier after that; Nantes were done psychologically. We didn't let them grow in confidence the way we did Marseille on Wednesday [4-3 in the Coupe de France]. Tonight we attacked well while staying organised. That's great. Kylian [Mbappé] is making progress - he is more clinical in the area, in his positioning and with his runs. I congratulated him when he came off." Sergio Conceiçao (FC Nantes coach): "We got off to a rough start, falling behind within minutes. This allowed Monaco to stay calm and play their game, and they bagged another two before the break. We were up against a really good team. If they beat Manchester City, they will be contenders to win the Champions League. This is our first away loss since I took over [on December 11, 2016], but Monaco are a strong team, the favourites for the league title. We had more possession, but they were very pragmatic. We gifted them three goals. We mustn't forget what happened here, but we also have to think about our next match. I take full responsibility for this defeat." Toulouse FC 1-1 LOSC Pascal Dupraz (Toulouse coach): "It's a fair result. We didn't have much control. We weren't together: some pressed while others dropped back. You have to acknowledge the quality of the opposition. I would have liked to have won because to have 38 points with ten games to play would have meant we were all but certain of staying up. We're going to have to start again. We've extended our unbeaten run all the same. We knew we still had work to do, because the team is young and this match confirmed that." Franck Passi (LOSC coach): "If we hadn't taken at least a point, it would have been unfair. You have to congratulate the players, because they fought right to the end. The players showed they have courage and the desire to fight. I have to praise their spirit. For the end of the season, we have to grow in confidence, that's the aim, because everything is easier with confidence. With that confidence, if we win more league matches, we can also hope to go further in the Coupe de France." FC Lorient 1-4 Olympique de Marseille Bernard Casoni (Lorient coach): "We made life difficult for ourselves from the start. It had been five matches since we'd conceded from a corner, we're 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 2
usually good at that, and this time, we virtually scored them ourselves. It's getting tiring to always start with a handicap. Psychologically, it was tough on the players. It's always to get back into the game, even if we had two chances. We started the second half with the desire to put things right, but we conceded a third and fourth. We played well against Bordeaux in the Coupe, but we take one step forward and two back." Rudi Garcia (Marseille coach): "What I said to the players at the end of the match was that it wasn't an easy game, but we made it one by scoring two goals inside 15 minutes. After that, we were able to press home our advantage. We should have done that in the first half, but we were able to do it at the start of the second, which was good. We shouldn't have conceded the goal we conceded, but we'll highlight the three points and that, despite the Coupe de France and the 120 minutes in the week, we finish the week well and that was the most important thing." Saturday, March 4, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 AS Nancy Lorraine Unai Emery (PSG coach): "We picked up three important points for the championship. Three points are also psychologically useful for the match on Wednesday [Paris play Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie]. We have to keep this spirit up. We played a good match, attacked a lot, although in defence we conceded two chances, but we'll try to improve. I'm happy for the team. The players are very motivated but the 90 minutes in Barcelona will be very hard." Pablo Correa (Nancy coach): "We feel frustrated. We hit the post twice, and we have had a lot of chances like this since the start of the season. However, I am very happy with how my players played. Some of them are very young and not used to matches like this. This will help them improve. We did not want to chase the game but we had to attack. It almost worked. We did better than Barca! [Paris beat Barcelona 4-0 in their first leg last month]." Dijon FCO 0-1 OGC Nice Olivier Dall'Oglio (Dijon coach): "I am disappointed but my head is up. This is our third consecutive loss, but it was to Nice, who are not just any opponent. We had chances but we lacked a cutting edge. At the moment a lot of things aren't going our way. We also have to do better at set pieces. It'll be difficult, but I think we have the means to stay in Ligue 1." Lucien Favre (Nice coach): "We took three points. We're on 62 so it's a good victory! It was difficult but nothing is easy in Dijon. They were dangerous at times. We had to stay calm and patient. There have been difficult games before today and there will be more to come. Against Caen, next Friday, it will be complicated because they are a team fighting for survival. Wylan Cyprien scored a fine goal. His timing was excellent." SM Caen 2-3 Angers SCO Patrice Garande (Caen coach): "I want to retain that reaction, the desire to go for the equaliser, that state of mind. That is the foundation, it's ultra-positive, but it did not win us points today. It's not the scenario we had imagined. We don't have time to lament, we must analyse and then move onto the preparation of the Nice match. As long as we have this state of mind, I'm convinced we'll succeed. But we must remove these errors. The first two goals were given away. What worries me the most is that I have lost players. Jonathan Delaplace should be missing for 15 days or even as much as three weeks. The pressure on our squad is difficult." Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "It's always difficult to score three goals away from home. We could have scored more when we were 3-1 up. Instead we let them back into it but luck remained on our side. That hasn't been the case on the road much this season. We had to hang on, that's the right word, with the energy we had left. Caen were unleashed towards the end. We have had some successes lately that are not due to chance. I think we'll get there." Montpellier Hérault SC 1-1 EA Guingamp Jean-Louis Gasset (Montpellier coach): "When you lead 1-0 five minutes from the end, and then let the three points slip, it hurts. We were much better in the first half. Everybody raised their level. In fact, even in the second half we deserved the win. If we now take three points from Nantes I will be very 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 3
happy." Antoine Kombouaré (Guingamp coach): "A draw is fair. We had a good first half, and really quelled Montpellier's flamboyant style. We were rigorous and disciplined. We defended very well and hit them were it hurt. Bizarrely, we made a bad start at the beginning of the second half and Montpellier were rewarded for their hard work. Then we did what we had to to create chances and we deserved to equalise. We're very, very happy with this point." FC Metz 1-1 Stade Rennais FC Philippe Hinschberger (Metz coach): "The equaliser was deserved. Thomas Didillon made two beautiful saves. In the second half we still had chances to kill the game. I have regrets because we could have scored more than one goal. But it's like that - if you are not ruthless you can get punished. We're disappointed because it's always cruel to concede at the end of a match. We have to accept it." Christian Gourcuff (Rennes coach): "We could have taken things into our own hands more with more movement and rhythm in our passes. We could have made the difference in the first half when we had two big chances. In the second half it was end-to-end. We were committed but the game didn't go entirely our way. We have not lost often away from home. From the start, our ambition has been to win every match in front of us until the end of the season." SC Bastia 0-0 AS Saint-Etienne Christophe Galtier (Saint-Etienne coach): "This was bad from both teams. Especially for us as we had a numerical advantage at first. In the second half, when it was ten against ten, there was only one small chance. If we had played five or six minutes longer we would have been caught on the counter. We failed to convert our chances - it's been like that for a while. You can't win if you don't score." Rui Almeida (Bastia coach): "That's how it goes. We'll take the points we need. Today is a positive point, and we will take it with us to Dijon and Nancy. For me, the feeling tonight is that we are only two points from Dijon. Obviously I would like them to be nearer. We're going to have to pick up more points. I don't have six months to put my own style on the team. I'm happy when fans are demanding, it's a good sign." Friday, March 3, 2017 Girondins de Bordeaux 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais Jocelyn Gourvennec (Bordeaux coach): "It was a very good, lively and open match. We didn't manage to pull further clear and the draw is a pretty fair result. We played close to one anther in order to limit the space for Lyon's attackers. I'm happy that we're progressing and we are now a better team. We're not doing everything right, but we are better than we were before and that's allowing us to exist in this division." Bruno Genesio (Lyon coach): "I'm satisfied that we managed to draw level against a team that's on a good run. We're disappointed with the result because we came here to win the game. We needed to score in the first half when we had our strong spells and we would have needed to have been more clinical in front of goal in the second half. Overall a draw seems to be a fair result to me. We scored from a set play and that hasn't been the case often this season." 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 4
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Agony for PSG in Barcelona Paris Saint-Germain were sent packing from the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, a stunning 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou meaning they lost their last-16 tie 6-5 on aggregate. Wednesday March 8, 2017 UEFA Champions League last 16, second leg FC Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Barcelona win 6-5 on aggregate) THE MATCH PSG coach Unai Emery made one notable decision in his team selection as Lucas Moura was preferred to Ángel Di María at kick-off at the Camp Nou. Meanwhile, Rafinha started for Barcelona in a 3-4-3 formation with the hosts looking to become the first team ever to go through in a Champions League knockout tie after losing 4-0 in the first leg. They gave themselves every chance of achieving the seemingly impossible by taking the lead inside three minutes, with the help of some hesitant defending from the French champions. The Paris back line failed to deal with a ball in the box that came off Marco Verratti and ricocheted into the six-yard area. Luis Suárez headed it in, the ball crossing the line before Thomas Meunier could clear. PSG sought to stay tight and compact, getting men behind the ball rather than press high. But they looked nervous. Neymar and Andrés Iniesta tried their luck from range before the Spanish champions found the net again five minutes from half-time, again with a helping hand. Marquinhos tried to marshal the ball out of play in the area but Iniesta got in front of the Brazilian and back-heeled it towards goal. Kevin Trapp got a touch but could only help the ball on its way to a bamboozled Layvin Kurzawa, who bundled it into his own net. It had been a disastrous first period for the visitors and things got worse for them as Barcelona went 3-0 up just three minutes after the restart. Meunier stumbled in the penalty box and Neymar tripped over the Belgian full-back. German referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot and Lionel Messi made no mistake from 12 yards. Now the Camp Nou crowd really believed their team could pull off a miraculous comeback, but PSG hit them with what appeared to be a sucker punch just after the hour. Kurzawa headed down a Verratti free-kick and Edinson Cavani blasted home on the volley. That eased the tension for Paris. Barcelona now needed to score three more, but a late flourish saw them pull off the unthinkable. Neymar was the catalyst as he netted from a majestic free-kick with two minutes left and then the Brazilian scored a penalty as the clock ticked into added time following a Marquinhos foul on Luis Suárez. PSG now had to survive five minutes of added time, but they could not. Neymar lifted a ball into the area and substitute Sergi Roberto beat the offside trap to stab past Trapp and complete the most incredible of victories. PSG will not appear in a fifth straight quarter-final in Europe's elite club competition. Barcelona, instead, qualify for the last eight for a record 10th consecutive campaign. THE PLAYER: Neymar This tie was over until Neymar revived Barcelona at the end, scoring a free-kick and a penalty late on and then setting up Sergi Roberto's winner. THE STAT: 20 Cavani's goal was his 20th in Europe for PSG, allowing him to equal Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the club's top scorer in continental competition. That will be little consolation just now. 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 5
Barca-PSG reaction - Emery: 'must grow' PSG coach Unai Emery says his players have taken responsibility for the narrow UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona; Captain Thiago Silva and midfielder Marco Verratti say the team will keep their heads up. Wednesday March 8, 2017 UEFA Champions League last 16, second leg FC Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Barcelona win 6-5 on aggregate) Unai Emery (PSG coach): "We didn't play the match we wanted to. Barcelona played with a winning state of mind. We wanted to carry over from the previous leg but we didn't. After going 2-0 down we improved. We showed more personality. At 3-1 normally, the match should have been over. But in five to ten minutes all our hard work was undone. We have to overcome this and grow. I'm sure other chances like this one will arise. The players have taken responsibility. They know they were not up to scratch in what was an important moment for the club." Thiago Silva (PSG captain): "As captain, I'm very proud of my players. Unfortunately today nothing worked. We failed to enact our plan and Barcelona took their chances. It hurts, but the big players are the ones who get over these things the fastest. We've had moments like this before and got over it. We're not going to let our heads go down this time. It's hard for our fans who were here, but we have to keep working. This was not a crisis of confidence." Marco Verratti (PSG midfielder): "Barcelona deserved to qualify. It was difficult for us to play our game, to string together passes. They pressed too much in the first half. It got better in the second, but when we conceded the third goal we realised we had to play. When Edinson Cavani scored we calmed down, but at that point the Barca players were still telling me the game was over. To concede three goals in five minutes, I can't find an explanation. It's football. This is a game I will never forget. I hope it serves as a lesson to everyone. We must find the strength to keep our heads up. We lost 6-1, not because of the referee. We are the ones responsible." Nasser al-khelaïfi (PSG president): "There are no excuses. We didn't play in the first half. After winning 4-0 in the first leg, losing 6-1 in the return leg is very difficult to accept, but we have no choice. After the first-leg win our goal of getting to the quarter-finals looked realistic. But in football that doesn't mean anything. We tried our best, we didn't manage to qualify, but we will keep going. To concede three goals in seven minutes so late is very hard. I haven't talked to the players yet, this is not the time. Everyone is nervous. That's normal. We're going to calm down." Luis Enrique (Barcelona coach): "Nobody stopped believing. I think the players were outstanding. We took risks but it was worth it. As a coach I'm delighted, especially after what happened in the first leg. At 3-1 we were going out but we kept faith. The fans were incredible. We're going to be in quarters and that will not please the other teams. When you are among the favourites everyone hopes you will be knocked out." Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona defender): "I've never seen anything like that in my life. The coach asked us if we had ever been part of a comeback like this and nobody said 'yes'. We knew how to make things hard for PSG. We made them run. We prepared well. We had a string state of min. We got lost in the first match, but if we play like this we will be difficult to beat. The coach wanted to change the system. We adapted easily. We have found our bearings in the last three matches." 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 6
EUROPA LEAGUE Lyon roar past Roma in the Europa League It's advantage Olympique Lyonnais after their UEFA Europa League last 16 first leg clash with AS Roma, with Mouctar Diakhaby (8'), Corentin Tolisso (47'), Nabil Fekir (74') and Alexandre Lacazette giving Les Gones a 4-2 advantage. Thursday 9 March, 2017 UEFA Europa League, round of 16, first leg Parc Olympigue Lyonnais, Lyon Olympique Lyonnais 4-2 AS Roma THE MATCH Lyon raced into an early lead at their Parc Olympique Lyonnais with Diakhaby turning home after Rafael had helped on Mathieu Valbuena's cross for his fourth goal in all competitions in 2017 (8'). Twenty-year-old Diakhaby has kept former Roma defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa on the bench for much of this season, but he went from hero to villain soon after, slipping to allow Mohamed Salah to steal in and finish beyond Anthony Lopes for 1-1 (20'), and the visitors went into the interval in the ascendancy thanks to Federico Fazio's header from a Daniele De Rossi delivery out wide (33'). Roma coach Luciano Spalletti described Tolisso and Lacazette as players as talented as any as he had at his disposal when the draw was made last month, and the pair combined soon after the restart to draw Les Gones back onto level terms (47'). The equaliser spurred OL into action, and Maxime Gonalons (65'), Lacazette (69') and Valbuena (70') saw attempts acrobatically turned away by Roma's Brazilian 'keeper Alisson in quick succession. The hosts couldn't be kept out forever, though, and Fekir came off the bench for his 100th OL appearance before steering the ball into the corner after fending off three markers (74'). Lacazette then added gloss in injury time (90+3' as Lyon ran out 4-2 winners. THE PLAYER: Corentin Tolisso Tolisso has flitted between defensive midfield and right-back for most of his young career, but he is enjoying himself playing further forward in Bruno Génésio's 4-3-3 formation. His ability to regain possession remains an asset, while his increasingly well-timed runs into the opposition box have helped him plunder 11 goals in all competitions this season - his best return yet. THE STAT: 6 Lyon are now undefeated in six games since being edged 2-1 by En Avant de Guingamp in mid-february, winning four and drawing two. Les Gones have scored 25 goals in that time. 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 7
Genesio: 'We have character' Olympique Lyonnais boss Bruno Genesio hailed his team's mettle after their 4-2 come-from-behind win over AS Roma in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie at the Parc OL on Thursday night. Thursday 9 March, 2017 UEFA Europa League, round of 16, first leg Parc Olympigue Lyonnais, Lyon Olympique Lyonnais 4-2 AS Roma Bruno Genesio (Olympique Lyonnais coach): "We managed to wrap the match up and score three goals after the break. It's a nice night for us. Equalising very early in the second half did our mindset a lot of good. It's very promising to come back in a match against a team like that. It shows that we have character. We're two goals ahead. We need to be solid next week. We have some really great players and while they're motivated like this, with such belief, it's great to see." Luciano Spalletti (AS Roma coach): "Lyon have this quality, youth and sparkling approach. We had to take the possession off them as, if they have the ball, they can find spaces between the lines or shoot from distance. When things go wrong, we don't have the character to fight back and our players in general have a calmer temperament. I expect it to be difficult in the second leg, as Lyon are good on the counter. We tried to pack the midfield tonight and that is where they caused us a few problems." 03/10/2017 Ligue de Football Professionnel - 2016/2017 - Ligue1.com 8