This start of the 33rd day of Ligue 1 looks like a multiplex of regrets, Wednesday April 20. Those of Bordeaux, who led 2-0 against Saint-Etienne in the match of fear, before falling apart and conceding a draw (2-2) which does not help either club. Especially since Clermont, by winning (1-0) in Troyes, sent the Greens back to the relegation zone.
There are also those of OGC Nice, dashing contender for the Champions League a few weeks ago, but who once again came up against a direct competitor, Monaco, winner (1-0) who temporarily returned to the level from the podium. Lille will not be happier with its defeat at Reims (2-1), which weighs down the hopes of a European place a little more.
The race for European places
Defeat in Marseille and Lens, draws in Montpellier, and against Rennes: Nice is in the process of scuttling itself to aim higher with only one victory in its last six games. The Gym this time gave in on the lawn of its neighbor, Monaco (1-0), thanks to the goal of Aleksandr Golovin, very opportunistic just before half-time to take advantage of a rare handball error by Walter Benitez. Christophe Galtier’s players generally dominated, especially after returning from the locker room. But they couldn’t tell the difference and see their dreams of C1 getting complicated. Nice is overtaken by its evening executioner in the standings, winner of its fifth consecutive match, before the Rennes match in the evening, and slips to 5th place.
The derby is for us.
The Côte d’Azur in Red and White.
1-0 ‣ #ASMOGCN pic.twitter.com/8WeQHVMt0z
– AS Monaco (@AS_Monaco) April 20, 2022
We knew Yunus Abdelhamid defensive rock. We now discover him a providential scorer. The captain of Reims forced the decision in added time with a superb curled shot from the entrance to the area (91st) to dominate Lille (2-1). The Mastiffs are continuing their decidedly complicated spring. They had however been put back on track by another beautiful distant cannon shot, signed Renato Sanches (56th) after the lucky opener from Marshall Munetsi (32nd). They were more offensive than in many recent meetings (20 shots). But too inefficient, they see their last hopes of Europe fly away. The locals can now see their end of the season with serenity, the maintenance almost assured.
the @StadeDeReims is the king of extra time #SDRLOSC pic.twitter.com/pzOLLtumSK
— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) April 20, 2022
The struggle to maintain
If Bordeaux were to be relegated to Ligue 2, FCGB supporters will be able to think back to all these points lost en route after leading or drawing. The Girondins led 2-0 after two goals from a corner signed Sekou Mara (15th) and Jean Onana (23rd). But David Guion’s players are definitely still suffering from this incurable disease. And Saint-Etienne took advantage of the passivity of the locals, who kept falling back. Denis Bouanga (33rd) then Arnaud Nordin (64th) put Saint-Etienne back in the game. Jimmy Briand’s goal, at the end of the match, set the stadium ablaze but the whistled offside thanks to the support of the VAR air-conditioned it a few seconds later. The Greens avoid a big disappointment but are now play-offs (18th, one point behind Clermont). Bordeaux remains at four lengths and will no longer have the right to make mistakes to still hope to save their head.
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Metz thought they could take advantage of this Bordeaux draw to stay away. But the Garnets will no doubt have things to say about the video arbitration this Wednesday. The VAR first denied them a goal from Nicolas De Préville at the start of the match, after a very late intervention. At 0-0, Frédéric Antonetti’s men finally gave in in added time (Ouattara, 94th) on a goal granted by the video after long minutes of discussions. And a decision that looks like a cleaver for the Messins, still the red lantern with 24 points. All the more frustrating that at the same time, Clermont, new 17th, came out in extremis (1-0) in Troyes, which fell to 16th place. The duel of the promoted was rich in tension with a red card on both sides, an opener in the last minutes from Mohamed Bayo (87th) and a penalty ultimately not awarded to the Trojans on the last action of the match, however quite contentious.