Paris and OM neutralized, Montpellier emboldened, wave of Covid cases, match postponed … What to remember from the multiplex of the 19th day

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The 19th day of Ligue 1, the last of the year 2021, played in multiplex Wednesday, December 22, offered a rain of goals. In total, 25 have been registered in nine games, and not ten as initially planned. We take a look back at the highlights of this very hectic evening.

Info: PSG, a leader with feet of clay

A draw snatched at the last minute, a meeting ended at 10, and a disturbing impression. Paris did not end the year on a high note. Eleven shots is the amount of strikes attempted by Lorient in the first period against Paris. According to OptaJean, this corresponds to the record of shots suffered by PSG this season in Ligue 1, a record equaled.

This defensive fragility is symptomatic of PSG version 2021/2022, which also suffers a large number of shots in the Champions League. But this time it was not the City of Guardiola who made the powder speak against the Reds and Blues but Lorient, the worst attack in Ligue 1 (only 14 goals scored so far), but author of a solid performance at home, like the opening of the splendid score of Monconduit (40th). On a goal from Mauro Icardi at the very end of the match (90th + 1), PSG came out of it again in extremis, but will have to find a solution if it does not want to have a difficult year 2022. Sergio Ramos, entered at the break, was excluded (85th).

The good deal: Nice dolphin at the expense of Marseille

It was one of the challenges of this multiplex, second place in the championship. And there was movement. Led to the score from the 75th minute by Reims despite their domination, the Marseillais stumbled for a long time on an excellent Predrag Rajkovic on his line. Despite their equalization on a penalty after a foul by Gravillon on Payet in additional time, the Phocéens (reduced to 10 after the exclusion of Bamba Dieng in the 85th) failed to keep their place just behind PSG in the standings.

Because the Niçois carried out the beautiful operation of the evening. Faced with a combative team from Lens and organized around a mid-three more dense than usual, the Niçois were also led from the 30th after a goal from Kalimuendo. But the first goal of Lemina (63rd) with his club and a nice achievement by Justin Kluivert (79th) in solo allowed the Aiglons to take off and win (2-1). Tied on points with OM (33 points), Nice regains the place of dolphin thanks to a better goal difference (+ 12 against + 11).

The disappointment: no improvement for Saint-Etienne and Lyon

Sworn enemies, the two neighboring clubs can however share a relatively similar observation after tonight’s matches. Lyon had started the match rather well by being very aggressive. The three changes made by Peter Bosz at half-time (Cherki for Paqueta, Toko Ekambi for Da Silva and Guimaraes for Caqueret) seemed to have their effect, with the Lyon opening scoring thanks to a header from a corner from young Gone Castello Lukeba (56th). But three minutes later, Metz glued back to a magnificent sequence from Boubacar Traoré. With this draw (1-1), the Lyonnais go on to a fourth game without a win in Ligue 1.

Called to the bedside of a dying Saint-Etienne team, Pascal Dupraz made his first in Ligue 1 and Geoffroy Guichard. But has not yet found the antidote. However, the Stéphanois seemed better than during their last outings, with a rather coherent block, and real opportunities to score without achieving it. A solitary raid by Kolo-Muani concluded with a superb goal (83rd) for Nantes (1-0) deprived the Greens of the slightest point. Fifth consecutive defeat in Ligue 1 for Saint-Etienne, red lantern of the championship with 12 points.

The number: 33

This is the number of goals scored by Montpellier at the end of the first leg. With the four scored this Wednesday against Angers (4-1) by Savnier (14th, Cozza (30th), Ristic (51st) and Mavividi (77th), the Hérault residents are second in the best attacks in Ligue 1, tied with Rernes , Stasbourg and Lens, but behind the Parisian armada and above all, the Montpellierains occupy 5th place in the standings, two lengths behind the Nice runner-up.

The context: Ligue 1 faced with an increase in contamination

The matches had not yet started that one element is already obvious: the cascade of Covid-19 contaminations in several Ligue 1 clubs. Bordeaux, Stade de Reims, Angers but also PSG have indicated that they have a certain number positive cases within their professional workforce.

The numbers are impressive. If PSG does not fare too badly with two contaminated players and one placed in isolation as a precaution, this is not the case for the others. In Reims, six cases of Covid were detected, ” four players as well as the two staff members“According to the press release from the Reims club. The Angers SCO did not communicate the number of infected within it, but its departure for Montpellier was delayed while waiting for the rest of the players and the staff, considered as contact cases, are tested.

On the Bordeaux side, we quite simply did not play the game against Lille. The Girondins saw nine contaminated players.

The unforeseen: match postponed between Clermont and Strasbourg

A match could not be held, but nothing to do with the Covid. The Clermont-Strasbourg meeting was postponed due to thick fog on the ground. A few minutes from the start of the match, the referee and the two clubs noted the very low visibility on the Auvergne lawn, with real pea puree and winter temperatures close to 0 degrees.

The LFP said in a statement that “thDue to weather conditions, the Clermont Foot 63 – RC Strasbourg Alsace match (…), initially scheduled for Wednesday December 22, 2021 at 9:00 p.m., is postponed to a later date to be determined by the LFP Competitions CommissionThis meeting will therefore have to be rescheduled in early 2022.


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