It’s a complicated start to the season for RC Lens. After the defeat against Stade Brestois (3-2) at the opening of the Ligue 1 season, the Sang et Or did not manage to do better than a draw, at home, against Stade Rennais (1-1 ). Despite an early opener, through the Colombian Deiver Machado, with a shot from the left at the entrance to the area (3rd minute), they failed to keep this score.
The Bretons, wide winners in Metz last week (5-1), equalized on a penalty obtained by Arnaud Kalimuendo and transformed by Benjamin Bourigeaud, two former Lensois.
It is therefore with only one point out of a possible six that the Lensois will present themselves at the Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain. During this meeting, the new striker, international hopeful Elye Wahi (20), who was introduced to the public before kick-off, should be there. Bought 35 million euros in Montpellier, club record, he will be responsible for making people forget Loïs Openda, who left for Leipzig.
Victorious last week against Lens (3-2), therefore, the Brestois also did it again at the promoted Le Havre thanks again to an excellent Romain Del Castillo, scorer and passer. The left-hander, author of a double against the Northerners, first opened the scoring with a very nice curled shot (28th) before offering Brest’s second achievement from a corner to Lilian Brassier (56th) just after the Le Havre equalizer signed Daler Kouziaev (52nd). Here are the Brestois well established to everyone’s surprise in first place in the standings with Monaco.
Monaco, precisely. ASM left no chance to Strasbourg and continued their faultless in the Monegasque furnace (3-0). Two goals from Japan’s Takumi Minamino and one from captain Wissam Ben Yedder, again aligned despite his indictment for “rape, attempted rape and sexual assault”, validated the clear superiority of the Principality club.
Held in check in Nice (1-1) during the opening of the L1, Lille for its part recovered well by dominating Nantes already in the hard with two defeats in two games. Beaten 2-0 and reduced to ten at the end of the game after the exclusion of Alexsandro (78th), the Canaries, saved in extremis last season, are 16th and perhaps left for a difficult exercise. In any case, this setback risks weakening the position of coach Pierre Aristouy a little more, appointed four days before the end of the previous championship and now well and truly threatened.
In the other two matches of the day, OGC Nice is treading water. Yet well launched in a closed game, the Aiglons were taken back in the last minutes of the match by Lorient (1-1). For both sides, it’s a second draw in as many matches.
Finally, after its narrow defeat against Marseille last week, the Stade de Reims signs its first victory, against Clermont (2-0). For the Auvergnats, the start of the season is difficult. After a first defeat against Monaco, they stagnate at zero points after two days. Like them, two other teams have still not gleaned a single point. Nantes, therefore, and Olympique Lyonnais.