Another pulsating round of Ligue 1 matches has come to an end, with plenty of talking points and exciting action. Teji Savanier helped Montpellier thrash Strasbourg while Lyon exacted revenge in the Rhone-Alpes derby by beating Saint Etienne. Meanwhile, leaders Paris Saint-Germain saw off Dijon and there were crucial wins for Angers, Lille, Marseille, Metz and Rennes.
Teji Savanier Scores Twice as Montpellier Beat Strasbourg
Savanier Takes His Goal Tally to Six
Montpellier ended their two-match losing streak in style by thrashing Strasbourg. The two sides headed into the contest separated by a point as the battle for European football intensifies in Ligue 1. It was midfielder Teji Savanier who would have the prominent say in the contest as his brace helped secure Montpellier a much-needed win and take his goal tally to six.
It was a cagey, tight contest, especially in the first half with neither side managing to sustain control of the game. However, the home side cranked up the pressure in the second half, scoring three times in the space of eight minutes to win the game. Savanier opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Alexander Djiku fouled Hilton in the box. The midfielder coolly slotted the penalty past Matz Sels, and the home side were in their stride. It took just four minutes for a second goal to arrive this time courtesy of Gaetan Laborde who headed Mihalio Rustic’s cross past Sels.
Savanier crowned an outstanding performance and completed Montpellier’s rout by curling a terrific shot into the bottom corner from outside the area. The result sees Montpellier climb above Strasbourg in the race for European football into sixth place. Results elsewhere have meant Strasbourg drop to tenth.
Mousa Dembele’s Double Secures Victory For Lyon
Mousa Dembele’s brace crowned a terrific week for Lyon as they beat bitter rivals Saint Etienne. The striker is in red hot form, with only Cristiano Ronaldo scoring more goals in 2020 than their Frenchman. The win crowns a brilliant week for Rudi Garcia’s side, who secured back-to-back league wins with clean sheets as well as an advantage in their last 16 Champions League tie with Juventus.
It was another miserable night for Saint Etienne and manager Claude Puel, who struggled to get into the contest and slump to a ninth defeat in twelve league games. A set-piece goal in the first half began their downfall as Dembele latched onto Martin Terrier’s excellent cross. Both sides pushed for the decisive second goal with Lucas Tousart, Bertrand Traore and Karl Toko-Ekambi all wasting chances for Lyon while Dennis Bouanga spurned several opportunities for the struggling visitors. It wasn’t until the 96th minute of the match that the points were secured after Dembele completed his brace from the penalty spot.
The result sees Lyon climb to fifth after avenging the loss they suffered back in October while Saint Etienne continue to struggle and now find themselves 16th in Ligue 1, just two points clear of the relegation zone.
LWOF Ligue 1 Predictions
LWOF’s original predictions are in bold on the left, while the actual results are on the right.
Nimes 1-1 Marseille – Nimes 2-3 Marseille
Amiens 1-0 Metz – Amiens 0-1 Metz
Brest 2-0 Angers – Brest 0-1 Angers
Monaco 1-0 Reims – Monaco 1-1 Reims
Montpellier 1-2 Strasbourg – Montpellier 3-0 Strasbourg
Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Dijon – Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Dijon
Toulouse 0-2 Rennes – Toulouse 0-2 Rennes
Bordeaux 2-1 Nice – Bordeaux 1-1 Nice
Lyon 2-0 Saint Etienne – Lyon 2-0 Saint Etienne
Nantes 1-1 Lille – Nantes 0-1 Lille
Up Next
Round 28 kicks off on Friday 6th March 2020. All games kick off on Saturday 7th March at 19:00 pm unless stated.
Marseille v Amiens – Friday 6th March, 19:45 pm
Angers v Nantes
Dijon v Toulouse
Metz v Nimes
Nice v Monaco
Reims v Brest
Strasbourg v Paris Saint-Germain – Saturday 7th March, 16:30 pm
Lille v Lyon – Sunday 8th March, 20:00 pm
Rennes v Montpellier – Sunday 8th March, 16:00 pm
Saint Etienne v Bordeaux – Sunday 8th March, 14:00 pm
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