the story of the crazy evening which saw Brest go directly to the Champions League and Lyon European

Ligue 1 gave us a crazy multiplex on Sunday and happy endings for Brest, Lyon, Lens and Metz. A look back at the hot moments minute by minute.

France Télévisions – Sports Editorial

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John Textor, the owner of OL, congratulates his captain: at the end of an incredible evening, Lyon is European.  (OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)

It all came down to the final moments. The 34th and final day of Ligue 1 delivered its verdict, Sunday May 19, at the end of a totally crazy multiplex. Brest qualified directly for the group stages of the Champions League, Lyon snatched a ticket for the Europa League at the last minute, Lens finished in C4. At the bottom, Metz was stressed until the end, as Lorient kept getting back into the race for the jump-off. The story of a totally crazy evening.

An intense battle for 3rd place

At kick-off, Lille were third and Brest fourth. The first therefore went directly to the group stages of the Champions League while the second had to go through two qualifying rounds. Except that after ten minutes of play, Gaëtan Laborde opened the scoring for Nice and therefore sent the Northerners into the play-offs. Brest confirms the sentence by scoring two goals in five minutes, Mahdi Camara with a dry strike then Jordan Amavi with a direct free kick (2-0).

10:11 p.m., Hakon Haraldsson reduces the score for Lille (1-1) then Benjamin André releases Pierre Mauroy with a header from a corner (2-1) to allow the Mastiffs to climb onto the podium. On the Brest side, Kenny Lala scored the 3-0 goal a quarter of an hour later, but the Bretons were still two points behind. Niçois Jordan Lotomba finally saved them with a header at the far post in the 92nd minute, to definitively deprive Lille of third place (2-2) and to the delight of the Brestois who followed the end of the match on their phones.

European Lyon and Lens, Marseille unfortunate winner

In a three-way duel between Lens, Lyon and Marseille, the Sang-et-Or, sixth and therefore virtually qualified for the Europa Conference League, are off to a good start. Elye Wahi opened the scoring after just five minutes of play against Montpellier (1-0). Alexandre Lacazette puts pressure on his neighbors in the standings by converting a cross from Saïd Benrahma (1-0, 39th). But eight minutes later, Deiver Machado extended Lens’ lead with a 2-0 goal.

When we return from the locker room, everything changes. 10:17 p.m., Othmane Maamma reduces the score for La Paillade (2-1). 10:22 p.m., Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang launches OM in their race for Europe (1-0), when at the same time, Strasbourg equalizes against Lyon (1-1). Montpellier, who had nothing left to play for, secured the draw with a lucky strike (2-2) at 10:33 p.m., when Marseille doubled the lead thanks to Michael Murillo three minutes later (2-0).

10:36 p.m., luck almost definitely smiles on the Phocaeans when Strasbourg is offered a penalty, but Emanuel Emegha sends it onto the crossbar. It was ultimately a penalty that sent Lyon to the Europa League, but that of Alexandre Lacazette at the very end of the match (2-1, 90th+6). OL thus scrapes into sixth place, with the assurance of playing C3 and not C4, thanks to their Coupe de France final. With its 2-2 draw, Lens will go to the Europa Conference League, as at kick-off, but as seventh.

Lorient believed in a miracle, Metz blocked at the last minute

17th at kick-off, Lorient had to win by more than seven goals to steal the place of 16th from FC Metz, play-off. The Merlus did not come far from the feat. Paris Saint-Germain, who faced Lorraine, opened the scoring after just seven minutes, with a cross from Carlos Soler in the top corner. 9:13 p.m., Kang-in Lee doubles the lead and complicates the task for Laszlo’s men Bölöni. Especially since at Moustoir, Lorient stacks up the goals against Clermont, already relegated: Laurent Abergel (1-0, 38th), Mohamed Bamba (2-0, 41st), Badredine Bouanani (3-0, 54th).. .

At 10:14 p.m., Lorient then has “only” three goals left to score to get back in front of the current barrage, thanks to the two goals scored by PSG. 10:23 p.m., the gap is only two goals thanks to Bamba Dieng (4-0, 63rd). But the Breton attack stalled and Lorient took 20 minutes before scoring the fifth in the 90th minute. The referee concedes eight minutes of additional time due to Clermont’s time losses. Yvon Mvogo climbs into the area on the final corner, without success. Lorient goes down to Ligue 2 and Metz keeps its play-off place, thanks to its advantage taken in direct confrontations against Merlus. End clap on Ligue 1.


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