what to remember from Ligue 1

Lat 37^and and penultimate day of the French football championship was to deliver its first verdicts before the epilogue of the season, Saturday May 21. But the meetings of this Saturday, May 14 did not make it possible to seal the fates, both in the race for Europe and in maintaining in the elite.

• The good operation of the weekend

Saturday, at home at Roahzon Park, Stade Rennes carried out one of the good operations of this 37^and day, defeating Olympique de Marseille (2-0). The Bretons climb to 4^and place in the standings, three points behind their evening opponent and Monaco. And they can still believe in qualifying for the Champions League.

“There is one last game to finish wellsummarized Bruno Genesio, the Rennes coach. We are not expecting any gifts from Lille. The championship has been very uncertain from the start, with sometimes very improbable results. It’s going to be a great last day, even if we would have liked it to be settled earlier. »

The contrast could not be more stark with his Marseille counterpart, Jorge Sampaoli. At the end of the evening, the Marseillais give up their place of dolphin of the PSG to the eleven of the Rock. “It hurts to lose the 2^and place, because the rest no longer depends on us »recognized the Argentinian.

The match against Strasbourg, Saturday May 21 at the Vélodrome, will be decisive if OM wants to play in the C1 next season. Tied on points with Monaco, the Phocaeans suffer from an unfavorable goal difference (+ 21, against + 25). They also can’t afford to finish the league with the same number of points as Rennes, who have +42 in goal difference.

The Monegasque captain, Wissam Ben Yedder, was the architect of the victory against Brest (4-2), which allowed the eleven of the Rock to sign their 9^and victory in a row and to move ahead of OM in the standings.

A goal with the right foot from the penalty spot (44^and), a left-footed goal (51^and) then a header (54^and): Wissam Ben Yedder scored his first hat-trick of the season in just ten minutes – straddling the two periods – to overthrow Brest almost single-handedly. The Bretons led 2-0 after only twenty-three minutes of play.

He got closer to Kylian Mbappé in the fight for the scorer rankings, another issue at the end of the season. With 24 goals, he returned to a single unit of the Parisian, scorer on penalty in the big victory of his team in Montpellier (4-0).

Anecdotal, according to the person concerned. ” If there is the trophy, so much the better. But I always think collectively”he assured a press conference on Saturday. “He comes first, even though tonight I scored a hat-trick and it’s been a while since I scored one. This is also my first with Monaco. I’m happy because the stakes were high. »

“It is a very big disappointment. We no longer have our destiny in hand, we could hope for a qualification in the European Cup. » Riviera coach Christophe Galtier did not hide his frustration on Saturday after the setback against Lille (3-1). A week after their defeat in the final of the Coupe de France (1-0 against Nantes), the Niçois continue their nightmarish end to the season. Currently 6^areovertaken by Strasbourg on goal difference, they could miss qualification for the European Cup.

Justin Kluivert had however put OGC Nice on the right track in the first period (1-0, 32^and). Then the Aiglons collapsed. “During the first twenty minutes after the break, we were next to our pumps and we restored our opponent’s confidence”, regretted Christophe Galtier. Jonathan David twice (52^and and 61^and) and Timothy Weah (90^and+4) gave victory to a Lille team which has nothing left to play for.

• The statement of the weekend

“I didn’t give up, that’s normal. It’s up to me to ensure that the players don’t give up. »

The coach of AS Saint-Etienne (ASSE), Pascal Dupraz, still wants to believe in maintenance at all costs. His team missed a golden opportunity with the reception of Reims (1-2) which, however, is going through an end of the season without a stake. But the defensive passivity on the two Reims goals was fatal to the Stéphanois. Especially since its direct rival, Metz, won against Angers (1-0). With the same number of points as the latter, play-off, ASSE must do better against Nantes than Metz against PSG next weekend to get out of the red zone.

“It is consternation that prevails, continued Pascal Dupraz. After half-time, it’s always the same shortcomings that come back, especially athletic ones. They are mind-boggling. Too many players don’t have the athletic skills to meet the demands of Ligue 1.” The hope of staying there is not yet extinguished in the Forez but the precipice is getting closer.

Walk the talk. To accompany an explicit banner (“89 goals conceded, you are at ch ***”), Bordeaux supporters threw many rolls of toilet paper into the area of ​​Lorient goalkeeper Matthieu Dreyer. The match was interrupted for six minutes while the stewards intervened to clear the pitch.

Before the meeting, nearly 200 Ultramarines (group of Girondins supporters) were also dispersed by tear gas fired by the police, when they wanted to angrily welcome their players’ coaches.

On the lawn, the Girondins experienced another sad evening. Unable to win against Lorient (0-0), David Guion’s men are almost condemned to Ligue 2. Only a miracle could save them: a victory combined with the defeats of Saint-Etienne and Metz, while making up for their difference of unfavorable goals (-41 against -35 for Saint-Etienne and -29 for Metz). The Bordelais, beaten down on the pitch at the final whistle, seemed resigned.