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Tag Ligue I

  • Feb, Mon, 2020
Sport

Osimhen’s goal fails to rescue Lille as Marseille close Ligue 1 gap

Gap
Lille (France), Feb. 17, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Olympique de Marseille cut the lead by Paris St-Germain (PSG) at the top of Ligue 1 in France to 10 points on Sunday after a 2-1 win at Lille.

Two quickfire goals midway through the second half gave them the win after Nigerian international Victor Osimhen had given the hosts the lead.

Champions PSG are in pole position on 62 points from 25 games after Saturday’s 4-4 draw at Amiens.

Marseille have 52 points while Lille stayed fourth on 40 points after the visitors came from behind in an entertaining clash.

Osimhen twice came close in the first half before he fired Lille into a 51st minute lead.

He scored with a dinked shot over goalkeeper Steve Mandanda after he took a defence-splitting pass from Jonathan Bamba in his stride.

Marseille missed a penalty kick on the hour as home goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved Valentin Rongier’s spot kick after Tiago Djalo tripped Bouna Sarr, but Lille’s joy was short-lived.

The visitors levelled in the 67th minute as Lille defender Reinildo Mandava diverted Valerie Germain’s glancing header into his own net and the Marseille midfielder again turned provider two minutes later.

Germain broke loose on the right flank and sent a superb low cross for Argentine striker Dario Benedetto to tap the ball in at the near post and complete Marseille’s fightback.

Earlier on Sunday, Olympique Lyonnais continued their patchy form with a 1-1 home draw against Strasbourg after Kevin Lucien Zohi cancelled out Bertrand Traore’s opener for the home side.

The result left Lyon in 11th place on 34 points while Strasbourg moved one place up to seventh on 37.

Third-placed Rennes suffered a 1-0 setback at Stade Reims, while Brest stayed 13th after holding on for a 3-2 home win over struggling Saint Etienne.

First half goals from Paul Lasne, Gaetan Charbonnier and Irvin Cardona gave Brest a 3-0 lead.

Then the visitors, who remain hovering above the relegation zone in 16th position, set up a tense finish through Denis Bouanga and Lois Diony.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Sun, 2020
Sport

PSG draw 4-4 at Amiens after remarkable comeback

Comeback
Paris, Feb. 16, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) A second-string side by Paris St-Germain (PSG) were held to a 4-4 draw at struggling Amiens in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

After erasing a three-goal deficit, they then went on to concede a stoppage time-equaliser.

The result left PSG 13 points clear of second-placed Olympique de Marseille after manager Thomas Tuchel rested several regular starters.

This was done ahead of Tuesday’s first leg tie of their UEFA Champions League last-16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

The makeshift line-up, with midfielder Ander Herrera playing in an unfamiliar right-back role, looked all at sea in the opening half.

This was after goals from Serhou Guirassy, Gael Kakuta and Fousseni Diabate gave 19th-placed Amiens a 3-0 lead.

Guirassy fired Amiens ahead with a crisp fifth minute finish and Kakuta made it 2-0 with a rasping shot from 18 metres which gave visiting goalkeeper Keylor Navas no chance.

A huge shock seemed on the cards as Diabate capped a jinking run through the middle with a low shot which went in off the post.

But Herrera pulled one back for the French champions on the stroke of half-time when he steered in a Julian Draxler corner kick.

The Spaniard’s goal helped turn the match as a pair of headers from centre-back Tanguy Kouassi levelled the scores inside the opening 20 minutes of the second half.

Amiens had again been undone by set-pieces as Draxler swung in another corner-kick for Kouassi to rise above his marker and head intot he net.

Five minutes later, the defender met Angel Di Maria’s cross at the far post to silence the home fans.

With Amiens on the back foot, it was no surprise that PSG grabbed a 4-3 lead in the 74th minute.

Mauro Icardi popped up at the far post and tapped in a fine low cross by Juan Bernat.

But the visitors then missed several gilt-edged chances with Edinson Cavani, who was looking for his 200th goal for PSG in all competitions, particularly guilty of poor finishing.

His astonishing miss in the dying minutes was punished moments later at the other end.

Guirassy levelled with a fine finish from inside the penalty area after he was put through by substitute Quentin Cornette.

In the evening’s most entertaining fixture, ninth-placed Girondins Bordeaux missed a chance to move into the top six as they were held to a 2-2 home draw by Dijon.

The visitors dropped one place to 18th.

Mounir Chouiar fired Dijon ahead early on when he capped a fast break and then salvaged a point for the visitors in the closing stages with a delightful shot.

That was after Bordeaux’s Hwaing Ui-Jo and Jimmy Briand had cancelled out his opener.

Bottom team Toulouse are staring at relegation after a 2-0 home defeat by Nice, who are eighth, left them 14 points adrift of the safety zone.

Nimes beat visiting Angers 1-0 to climb out of the bottom three.

Marseille visit fourth-placed Lille and Stade Reims are at home to Rennes, who are third, in Sunday’s stand-out fixtures.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)