Ligue 1 Roundup, Matchday 30
Here is a summary of the games that took place during Matchday 30 of the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season over the weekend, focusing on thrilling matches, surprising results, and standout player displays.
Nice 3-0 Lorient
Lorient’s descent towards relegation continued with a 3-0 loss to OGC Nice at the Allianz Riviera. This defeat means that Les Merlus have only managed to secure one point from their last five league games. On the other hand, the victory has propelled Les Aiglons six points ahead of Lyon in seventh place, consolidating their position in the European spots and maintaining their fifth-place standing. Meanwhile, Lorient’s downward spiral towards relegation sees them in the bottom two, raising the possibility of a return to Ligue 2 after a four-year stint in the top division.
Nantes 0-3 Rennes
Nantes suffered their ninth consecutive home defeat, setting a new club record, as they lost 3-0 to Rennes in the Derby de la Bretagne. The defeat keeps Nantes in a tight Ligue 1 relegation battle. Amine Gouiri sealed the win for Rennes with a goal in stoppage time, assisted by Désiré Doué. Despite Antoine Kombouaré’s claims before the match that his team was not yet safe, Nantes are now just 3 points above the relegation zone. Rennes, on the other hand, ended a three-game losing streak with this victory and moved up to seventh place, just 4 points behind the top six.
RC Lens 1-0 Clermont
RC Lens ended a streak of four games without a win to move within one point of fifth-placed Nice in the race for Europe. Florian Sotoca’s early penalty at Stade Bollaert-Delelis secured the victory. Despite facing little pressure throughout the match, a brief loss of focus from Brice Samba nearly cost his team, but Clermont’s forwards also struggled to capitalize on their chances. In the end, RC Lens held on for a close win, aiming for this result to kickstart their push for European qualification.
Reims 1-2 Montpellier
Montpellier secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Stade de Reims with a late goal from substitute Mousa Al-Tamari, handing the hosts their third consecutive defeat. The win lifted Montpellier eight points clear of the relegation zone and dealt a blow to Reims’ European aspirations. Despite Reims pushing for a win, Al-Tamari’s late solo effort sealed the victory for Montpellier, marking their first head-to-head win since 2019. The result strengthens Montpellier’s chances of a 16th consecutive season in Ligue 1, while Reims will be disappointed to fall six points behind their European rivals due to conceding late.
Lille 1-0 Strasbourg
After being eliminated from the Europa Conference League, Lille quickly bounced back by defeating Strasbourg 1-0 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, maintaining their five-point lead over fifth-placed Nice in the race for Ligue 1’s UEFA Champions League spots. The final fifteen minutes of the match saw Emanuel Emegha missing a chance after being set up by Andrey Santos, with Lucas Chevalier’s quick reactions causing a distraction. Thomas Delaine also missed a header in the last minute of regular time, but overall, it was a straightforward victory for Lille. The team is expected to perform better without the burden of European competition, and this win solidifies their position as top-four contenders.
Le Havre 0-1 Metz
Metz achieved their first away victory against Le Havre since 1995, with Georges Mikautadze’s goal helping them move out of the Ligue 1 relegation zone. Le Havre, aware that a loss would drop them down, made a strong push for an equalizer. Sabbi posed a significant threat for them once again, coming close to leveling the score with a powerful shot that hit the crossbar. Despite their efforts, Le Havre remained in 16th place and is facing serious trouble. On the other hand, Metz improved their position by a point and a spot, securing two consecutive league wins at a crucial juncture.
Brest 0-2 Monaco
Monaco defeated Brest to claim the second spot in the Ligue 1 standings with a convincing 2-0 win over the Pirates. This victory halted Brest’s impressive nine-game unbeaten run at Stade Francis-Le Blé. Monaco’s triumph also prevented Eric Roy’s team from matching their highest points total in a top-flight season from 1986/87. Additionally, Monaco extended their unbeaten streak in away league matches to eight games, with seven of those matches seeing them score two or more goals. The outcome was disappointing for Brest, who now face the risk of dropping in the standings as they are on the verge of securing a spot in a prestigious European competition for the first time in the club’s history.
Toulouse 2-2 Marseille
Faris Moumbagna’s late stunning goal helped Marseille secure a 2-2 draw against Toulouse. Despite struggling throughout the game, Marseille managed to salvage a point when Moumbagna scored with virtually the final play. This goal came from a long ball into the Toulouse box, which Moumbagna met with an incredible overhead kick near the penalty spot. This result maintains Marseille’s unbeaten record against Toulouse in 20 league encounters and ends their streak of four consecutive away losses. On the other hand, Toulouse extended their unbeaten run to four matches.
PSG 4-1 Lyon
Paris Saint-Germain moved closer to winning the Ligue 1 title with a convincing 4-1 victory over Lyon at the Parc des Princes. This match provided fans with a glimpse of how the team can perform without Kylian Mbappé. The two teams will face each other again in the Coupe de France Final on May 25th. Lyon needs to improve their defense to have a chance in that match and secure European qualification by closing the five-point gap to RC Lens in their remaining six matches. PSG’s win has extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points as they continue to pursue a quadruple.
