Lens and Lyon were unable to settle the score (0-0) on Sunday at the end of the fourth day of Ligue 1, while Reims pulled off a good move by winning in Nantes (2-1) a little earlier in the afternoon.
Lens, at home, missed an opportunity to keep up with Monaco and Marseille, 10 points each, but took sole 4th place in the championship with 8 points, ahead of Nantes, and remains unbeaten in Ligue 1.
For Lyon, defeated twice in the first two days, it is not a better accounting operation before receiving Olympique de Marseille next weekend during the Olympico.
Lyon will have to regret two goals disallowed for offside positions after a call to video assistance.
Gift Orban, preferred to Georges Mikautadze, at the forefront of the Lyon attack, deceived Brice Samba in the 10th minute and the 55th minute before seeing his goals ultimately disallowed.
After a good first half, the match lost a lot of intensity after the break.
Earlier in the afternoon, FC Nantes could also reach the Ligue 1 podium in the event of a victory over Reims.
Nantais started the match with a bang, opening the scoring through their Brazilian midfielder Douglas Augusto (28th), but Stade de Reims immediately recovered by equalising in the 34th minute with a header from Marshall Munetsi.
In an open match, the Japanese Keito Nakamura gave his team the victory in added time (2-1, 90th+1) while Nantes pushed to win the game.
– Stop for Nantes –
It’s a setback for Antoine Kombouaré’s men, unbeaten so far this season, and a godsend for Reims who will host PSG in Champagne next weekend.
During the first match of the day early in the afternoon, Rennes, who were on a run of two consecutive defeats, recovered at home by easily dominating Montpellier 3-0, decimated by ten absences.
The Bretons have reassured themselves before four perilous days, where they will face Lens, PSG, Monaco and Brest.
Montpellier, still without 10 injured players, has been unable to cope in their absence and has recorded its third consecutive defeat. Montpellier will host Auxerre next Sunday, an opponent in the race for survival that MHSC seems likely to have to settle for this season.
Julien Stéphan’s players opened the scoring through Ludovic Blas, perfectly played in by Albert Gronbaek (24th). Arnaud Kalimuendo, with a header, served by Lorenz Assignon, made the score worse (35th) and Gronbaek definitively wrapped up the match with a beautiful solo move (60th).
In the last two matches of the day, Toulouse won 2-0 against Le Havre, thus signing their first victory this season and Angers won their first point by snatching a draw at Strasbourg (0-0).
lh/obo
