Bottom of the table Caen get a win over mid-table Reims to bring them within two points of safety. Only St. Ettienne dropped points in the top five teams, while Lille continues to be unimpressive.
Let’s get to the games:
Bordeaux (1) – Nice (2)
Nice continue their winning ways in 2015 with a come from behind victory. Bordeaux went ahead shorty before the half-hour mark when Mouez Hassen impeded Nicolas Maurice-Belay leading to a Diego Rolan penalty. Midway through the second half, Nice responded with a Jordan Amavi strike that surprised the passive defense. In stoppage time, Nice were able to secure the three points when Alassane Plea took a pass from Eric Beutheac on the right wing and scored with a left footed shot. Nice has now won back to back games in Ligue 1, and finish the week in 10th place.
Lens (0) – Lyon (2)
Getting both goals within four minutes of one another, Lyon strengthened their lead atop the table with a comfortable win at Lens. Lyon’s Nabil Fekir had a powerful shot deflected into goal by Lens’ Jean-Philippe Gbamin in the 22nd minute to open scoring. Minutes later, Lyon was awarded a free-kick on a handball by Boubacar Sylla, and Alexandre Lacazette stepped up to net the goal. It was the seventh straight game with a Lacazette goal, and this one put away Lens despite some chances in the final 20 minutes.
AS Monaco (1) – Nantes (0)
Monaco retains their unbeaten run with a simple win of Nantes. The visitors had the advantage through the first half, but were unable to score. 17 minutes from the final whistle, Monaco’s Kurzawa crossed into the box. The ball was brought down by Dimitar Berbatov and half cleared, allowing Bernardo Silva to run on and slot the ball home from close range. Monaco got a final scare when Nantes’ Veretout’s deflected effort jumped off the bar, but were able to hold on for the full three points.
Caen (4) – Stade de Reims (1)
Caen came in at the bottom of the table, but snapped their eight-game winless streak with an important win, taking them within two points of safety. Alaeddine Yahia opened the scoring within three minutes with a header on Julien Feret’s free-kick. Five minutes later, Sloan Privat dummied a shot from six yards out to make it 2-0 for the home team. In the 26th minute, Stade’s Gaetan Charbonnier converted a penalty after Yahia fouled David Ngog in the box. Yahia answered, though, with a clean-up of a Lenny Nangis free-kick. Caen finished the game off with a penalty after a Michael Tacalfred handball in the box drew a spot-kick. Bengali-Fode Koita converted with a shot into the bottom corner.
Lorient (1) – Lille (0)
Coming in with a four-match losing streak, Lorient got all three points with a strong second-half strike to take Lorient five points clear of relegation. In the 59th minute, a Mathias Autret cross caused havoc in the box, including two shots blocked, before Raphael Guerreiro slammed home the goal at the far post. Lille really didn’t seem to be concerned with the deficit, and Lorient had several chances to increase their lead before the final whistle, but were content with the 1-0 win at home.
Metz (2) – Montpellier (3)
Montpellier win a comeback thriller on the road, with Lucan Barrios netting a hat-trick. Barrios’ first came from the penalty spot after Anthony Mounier was fouled in the box by Guirane N’Daw. Metz equalized only four minutes later, with another spot-kick, this time with Yeni Ngbakoto finishing after Joris Marveaux of Montpillier was ruled to have fouled in the box. Seven minutes before the half, the hosts went up 2-1 after Gaetan Bussmaa directed a strong header past the keeper. It only took seven minutes into the second half, however, for Montpellier to find an equalizer in Barrios low right-foot shot off of an excellent Bryan Dabo through-ball. Barrios completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute when a Morgan Sanson shot fell back into his path and he slotted it home from close range.
Toulouse (1) – Bastia (1)
Toulouse’ late equalizer meant that Bastia were denied a win, after winning five of their last seven games in all competitions. Having lost 8 of their last 11, Toulouse refused to give up after Bastia went up on an own-goal from Ali Ahamada early on. Bastia’s Famoussa Kone’s shot came back off the post directly into the goalkeeper and back into goal. Their perseverance was rewarded 13 minutes from stoppage time, however, with a 20-yard strike from Martin Braithwaite that gave each team a share of the points.
Paris Saint-Germain (4) – Evian Thonan Gaillard (2)
PSG went down to an early goal but fought back and got goals from David Luiz and Marco Verratti – their first for the team. Evian’s Cedric Barbosa lifted the ball over Thiago Motta and shot from distance to give the visitors a one-goal lead. 30 minutes in, David Luiz answered with a run past Barbosa and a shot into goal. 8 minutes later, Ibrahimovic’s shot was blocked but the rebound fell to Verratti who powered a half-volley into goal. PSG seemed subdued in the second-half, but an own-goal from PSG’s Van der Wal sharpened things up. PSG went back ahead 10 minutes later, as Ibra and Lucas combined to pick out Pastore who finished from 12-yards out, and wrapped up the win when Van der Viel got revenge with a sharp pass to Ibra who teed up Cavani for PSG’s fourth.
Stade Rennes (0) – St Etienne (0)
An uninspiring clash was highlighted by a lack of pressure from St Etienne on the road. Rennes struggled without striker Paul-Georges Ntep, but his thigh injury should not have kept them off the board. The second-half did little to inspire either side, and St. Etienne’s defense was perhaps the star. The draw leave St. Etienne in fourth place, and Rennes in ninth.
Marseille (2) – Guingamp (1)
Marseille kept pace with Lyon, only one point back of the league leaders with tonight’s win. OM’s Mario Lemina opened scoring late, in the 84th minute, on a clean up header from a Benjamin Mendy shot. With less than a minute remaining, the hosts got a second when Dimitri Payet found Gignac with a free-kick which was headed beautifully into goal. Guingamp make things a little hairy in stoppage time, though, with Rod Fanni receiving a straight red card for a take down of Beauvue in the box. Claudio Beauvue converted the penalty kick, but it was too little, too late.