– Compiled by FrozenCreek –

SATURDAY 29TH OCTOBER



Lyon 2-0 St. Etienne

Despite having a man sent off, Lyon managed to pull two goals while being a man down to beat St. Etienne at the Stade de Gerland. St. Etienne came out with aggression as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the post after being unmarked. Lyon responded in the 34’ as Bafetimbi Gomis got on the end of a cross but volleyed wide from six yards out. Yoann Gourcuff also sent a free-kick narrowly over the bar right before the interval. Mouhamadou Dabo came on the pitch at half for Aly Cissokho, but was sent right off after he received a straight red for an ugly challenge on Banel Nicolita. Lyon increased the energy and forced a save from Stephane Ruffier on a Jimmy Briand shot. Briand got the final word as he scored off a deflected corner in the 82’. Hugo Lloris then made a crucial save off of a diving header from Aubameyang. Gourcuff doubled the lead in the 90’ and put the match away as he picked up a poor clearance and finished cooly past the away keeper.

Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Caen

Two penalties by Anderson Luiz de Carvalho Nene along with two second half goals clinched the lead for PSG as they hold their spot at the top of the table. Caen scored the opener in the 12’ through Thomas Heurtaux. Caen’s Benjamin Nivet saw red in the 19’ for a harsh foul on Nene, which Nene converted himself. Caen stayed with the game plan and continued to attack despite being a man down, as Pierre-Alain Frau had two shots stopped by Salvatore Sirigu, then hit one against the bar. PSG continued to attack in the second half, as Kevin Gamerio cut the ball to Jeremy Menez who tapped-in a goal in the 55’. Nene pressured for the third as he shot inches wide and sent a corner to Mohamed Sissoko who hit the bar. Nene then converted a goal in the 76’ as Nicolas Seube fouled Gameiro in the box. Caen put the match into reach again when Jerry Vandam scored in the 82’. It was PSG who had the last word, though, as Christophe Jallet sent a nice cross to the far post where Javier Pastore controlled and put the ball home.

Montpellier 2-0 AS Nancy Lorraine

Two second half goals gave Montpellier a win as they continue the campaign with strength. Loosemy Karaboue gave the visitors the first chance of the match as he lobbed Geoffrey Jourdren, but Vitorino Hilton beat the ball to the line and cleared. Olivier Giroud then threatened for Nancy, but Guy N’dy punched his shot clear. Karaboue sent a shot wide for the visitors’ last meaningful chance of the half. Montpellier went close, but N’dy repelled a Giroud header and Joris Marveaux’s shot from distance. Cyril Jeunechamp created the first chance of the second half for Montpellier, but volleyed wide. Giroud broke the draw, but it had to have been an accident, as his cross went into the back of the net. Their lead doubled in the 74’ when Souleymane Camara slotted home. Nancy tried to come back, but Jourdren got the better of Thomas Mangani and Jordan Loties.

Evian Thonon Gaillard 3-1 AJ Auxerre

Yannick Sagbo’s first half brace gave newly-promoted Evian their second win of their campaign. Evian controlled early as Cedric Barbosa tested the Auxerre keeper Olivier Sorin in the 8’. Sagbo opened the scoring when Barbosa capitalized on Dudka’s mistake and sent Sagbo on net, and Sagbo finished right-footed past Sorin in the 15’. Sagbo almost scored again in the 20’, but this time Sorin came out on top. Auxerre’s only chance of the half saw Rudy Haddad volley wide in the 27’. Sagbo then got this second in the 42’ when he was left open to finish off Barbosa’s flick. Aldo Angoula almost put the home side up by three in the second, but his header went off the crossbar. Sagbo was unlucky not to complete his hat-trick as Sorin came out on time. Barbosa was finally awarded for his performance in the 69’ as he received a ball from Saber Khelifa that Barbosa had no problem finishing. Auxerre received their consolation goal through Dudka’s 71’ penalty for Angoula’s foul on Ben Sahar. Evian held on as Auxerre couldn’t create any chances in the final minutes.

Dijon FCO 2-3 Marseille

Marseille had a wonder start as they scored two goals in the first 11 minutes as they came out on top, tallying their third win of the campaign. Marseille took the lead in only a minute as Loic Remy received Charles Kabore’s long pass in which Remy put through the Dijon keeper’s legs to make it 1-0 to the visitors. Marseille continued their powerful start as Benoit Cheyrou stunned the Stade Gaston Gerard with his free-kick into the top corner. Jordan Ayew almost made it 3-0 in the 17’, but Dijon’s Baptiste Reynet saved for a corner. The corner resulted in a powerful volley from Remy, but Reynet was able to save. Remy was denied again in the 30’. Dijon started the second half strong as Nicolas N’Koulou failed to clear, leaving Brice Jovial to volley past Steve Mandanda in the 46’. Dijon equalized in the 63’as Thomas Guerbert’s corner set up Benjamin Corgnet to head home. Remy almost scored again, but Reynet saved his header. Marseille still came out on top, though, as Alou Diarra headed home in the 82’ off of a Mathieu Valbuena free-kick.

Brest 3-1 Lorient

Larsen Toure’s 4’ goal and Bruno Grougi’s brace led Brest to their opening win of the campaign and put them into the 12th spot on the table. Toure’s early goal came off a counter from Gregory Lorenzi, who passed to Eden Ben Basat . Basat then flicked the ball to Toure who finished with a header to the top corner. Paul Baysse had a chance for the home side to double, but he volleyed just over. Grougi scored in the 35’ off of another counter-attack, then a nice one-two with Mario Licka before he slotted past Lorient’s keeper Fabien Audard. In the 42’, Nolan Roux was brought down in the area, which gave Groigi the chance to score a second. Lorient came out strong in the second as they tried to make up for lost time, but Steeve Elana stayed strong to keep the home side ahead. Yann Jouffre had the first try, which Elana punched clear. Bruno Ecuele Manga beat the keeper though to cut their deficit.

AC Ajaccio 0-2 Bordeaux

Yoan Gouffran’s first-half brace led Bordeaux to a victory against the struggling AC Ajaccio side. Bordeaux broke their eight game winless streak, while making Ajaccio’s winless streak seven matches. The first minutes were uneventful. Action didn’t occur until Nicolas Maurice-Belay received space and ran down the left flank to send a cross to Gouffran to finish in the 24’. Gouffran was lucky enough to be on the end of a knock down by Cheick Diabate in the 29’ as Gouffran volleyed home for his second. Fahid Ben Khalfallah almost made it 3-0, but he volleyed his cross over. Ajaccio almost cut the deficit in half, but Andy Delorte couldn’t direct his header past Cedric Carrasso. Delort threatened again five minutes after the interval, but his overhead kick was hit a little too high. Bordeaux then took over, refusing to let Ajaccio back in. Landry N’Guemo was unlucky to score as Guillermo Ochoa saved for the away side, and Gouffran almost got a treble, but was unable to meet the cross from Khalfallah. Ochoa was called upon again when the substitute Gregory Sertic sent a menacing volley at goal, but wasn’t directed well enough to score.

SUNDAY 30TH OCTOBER

Valenciennes 0-0 Lille

Lille’s uninspiring draw against Valencennes led them to third place in the table. Eden Hazard showed magic in the 11’ as he dribbled through the defense, but couldn’t beat Valenciennes goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau. Valenciennes’ Foued Kadir created the first chance for the home side as he shot on target, but Lille’s Mickael Landreau produced a beauty of a save to keep the ball out. Valenciennes were unlucky in the half hour as Renaud Cohade’s volley beat Landreau, but came right back off the crossbar. Kadir fired wide, and then Vincent Aboubakar also had a shot hit the bar. Lille started the second half off strong, but Gael Danic’s shot was fired straight at the post. Lille continued their uninspiring play with Moussa Sow’s two off-target efforts seeming to be all they could muster. Eden Hazard then tried, but sent his shot straight at Penneteau.

Toulouse 1-0 Stade Rennes

Toulouse managed to hold on to their lead after going down a man which moves them up to fifth in Ligue 1. Rennes had the first chance when a poor clearance by Ali Ahamada resulted in a 35 yard shot from Victor Hugo Montano, but the keeper made it back in time to save. Toulouse’s free-kick in the 26’ resulted in the first and only goal of the match. His kick deflected off the wall and went past the Rennes goalkeeper Benoit Costil. Rennes took control of possession in the early parts of the second half, but couldn’t create meaningful chances. Antoine Devaux’s ugly foul on Kevin Theopile-Catherine resulted in a red card for the home side in the 55’. Toulouse proved to be the aggressors first as Mickael Firmin shot wide. It didn’t take long for Rennes to create havoc, though. Youssouf Hadji took an ambitious 20-yard shot, but it went just wide. Ahamada was forced to save a volley from Jonathan Pitroipa. Rennes almost equalized in the final minutes, but Feret’s shot went just wide after beating the keeper, giving Toulouse the win.

Nice 1-1 Sochaux

Nice played a good match and will be wondering how they didn’t win despite having a man sent off in the second half. Nice came out strong in the opening minutes, but Teddy Richert came out on top against Francois Clerc and Xavier Pentecote’s early shots. Eric Mouloungui broke the tie in the 30’ when he fired past Richert off a pass from David Hellebuyck. The equalizer came quickly after Marvin Martin brought down Renato Civelli in the area which resulted in Ryad Boudebouz’s converted penalty in the 35’. Nice started the second half strong as Pentecote beat the defense, but couldn’t beat the keeper in the 55’. Hellebuyck received his marching orders when he timed his challenge on Damien Perquis in the 62’. Nice continued on for the win despite being a man down, but Civelli’s shot off of a free-kick was straight at the keeper. Richert then had to make another save against a strong Nice side when Civelli’s header from point-blank range was fired within his reach.