With the return of a Ligue 1 with eighteen clubs, the winter break always arrives at Christmas, of course, but the closing of the curtain of the mid-championship comes early since the first leg now ends at the end of the 17th day.
Already mathematically assured of the honorary title of autumn champion, Paris Saint-Germain calmly closed the exercise on Wednesday, December 20, by beating Metz at the Parc des Princes thanks in particular to a double from Kylian Mbappé, on his 25th birthday . On the podium, Nice is ahead of Monaco while Brest comes in a surprising fourth.
At the bottom of the ranking, Lyon is breathing easier after its success over Nantes which allows it to no longer be relegated or play-off for the first time this season, leaving in its wake Toulouse, Lorient and Clermont, all beaten on Wednesday evening.
Two goals in two minutes: Terem Moffi offered Nice against Lens (2-0) a fifth consecutive victory at home where the Aiglons finished this first half of the season undefeated (6 wins, 3 draws), and second in the standings behind the PSG. If this victory took a long time to take shape, it nevertheless still showed a force full of mastery on the part of Francesco Farioli’s men. After an unconvincing first period, the Aiglons made their opponents fold with two banderillas signed by Moffi, scorer of six goals this season.
This success “is of great value, compared to the level of our opponent, and three days after our defeat at Le Havre. These 35 points are deserved, and valued” by the fact of being undefeated at home, appreciated the Italian coach of OGC Nice
Lens, on the other hand, sees its superb series of eleven matches without defeat (7 wins, 4 draws) in the championship come to an end on the Côte d’Azur. Seventh with already nine points behind their evening opponents, Franck Haise and his players are stagnating below the qualifying places for Europe.
For its part, Monaco, third, remains on the lookout, two points behind Nice thanks to a double from Wissam Ben Yedder against his former club Toulouse (2-1). With his palm outstretched in apology towards the corner which so acclaimed him during his six years in Toulouse (2010-2016), at the start of his professional career, Ben Yedder did not celebrate his two goals. The international striker, however, had reason to be jubilant after being relegated to the bench during the last four ASM matches and openly criticized by his coach Adi Hütter for his lack of success. This time he was lined up from the start and was able to seize his chance to finish this phase in second place in the scorers’ ranking, with eight goals scored.
For Toulouse, tired by its participation in the Europa League, the winter break will be good before resuming on January 3 with the Champions Trophy against Paris Saint-Germain. The Haut-Garonnais club, which has not won in L1 since October 1, finds itself in a play-off position for the first time, in 16th place.
Paris Saint-Germain maintained its five-point lead over Nice at the top of Ligue 1 by beating Metz (3-1), with Kylian Mbappé scoring a double for his 25th birthday. The Parisian striker is at the top of the scorers’ rankings with 18 goals scored in 17 days.
Another gift for the captain of the Blues: his little brother Ethan Mbappé, only 16 years old, played his first professional minutes under the Parisian colors. With the added bonus of passes between the two brothers under the eyes of their parents.
“He loves it, but I love it even more,” admitted Kylian Mbappé in a video broadcast on X by the Parisian club. As a big brother, this is extremely pleasing. I didn’t think I would live a special day like that, but really, I will remember this match. »
Four goals for one and the same man, and a totally unexpected fourth place: Brest had an ideal evening on Wednesday against Lorient, who were completely overwhelmed and now penultimate in the standings. “When we prepare for a match, when we imagine scenarios, we always dream of this kind of slightly perfect evening. “In addition, in a derby, a match which is even more close to the hearts of the supporters”, slipped Eric Roy, the Brest coach, after his 4-0 victory acquired thanks to the quadruplet of the Malian playmaker, Kamory Doumbia, all in First period !
Despite this fourth place in line with the quality of the game offered by the Finistériens, Roy wants to be measured for the future. “We don’t forget that a few months ago, we were in a perilous and very difficult maintenance operation. This is why you have to have a lot of humility and know that in football, everything goes very quickly,” he stressed.
Olympique Lyonnais beat Nantes (1-0) on Wednesday evening, signing a third victory in a row which allows them to leave the red zone just before the break. Under the leadership of Pierre Sage, fourth coach of the season, the Rhone residents scored through their captain, Alexandre Lacazette, a new scorer who scored his fourth goal in three matches. Last on December 10 at the end of the 15th day, they completed the first leg in fifteenth place.
“I don’t know if I will be affected for the recovery or not. I can just say that I will be at Olympique Lyonnais but I don’t know in what role,” declared the interim coach of Lyon, after the success against the still feverish Nantes
“I unpinned it in the locker room. It is not possible, at a minimum, not to share the points here in Lyon,” lamented Jocelyn Gourvennec, the coach of Nantes who is in thirteenth position in the standings.
Montpellier put an end to Olympique de Marseille, which remained on a series of four consecutive victories in the league, by obtaining a 1-1 draw on Wednesday at home. Khalil Fayad opened the scoring with a header in the 14th minute for the Héraultais then Jordan Veretout equalized for the Olympians at the start of the second half. With 27 points, OM remains sixth, in ambush for next season’s European places, while Montpellier stagnates in twelfth place.
In Strasbourg, the famous Christmas market relocated to the La Meinau stadium for an evening where the Alsatians celebrated by knocking down Lille, which had been undefeated for ten days (2-1). Lille, who had just stood up to Paris SG (1-1), this time did not show much imagination after having scored quickly on an own goal from Abakar Sylla. The Alsatians then came back thanks, again, to an own goal from Leny Yoro before Junior Mwanga scored the victorious goal. Racing thus confirms its improvement by achieving a third success in a row which allows Patrick Vieira’s men to finish the first leg in an honest ninth place.
Stade Rennais won its first away match of the season in Clermont (3-1), thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Désiré Doué and Ludovic Blas. With this victory, Rennes, who remained on three defeats and a draw, moved up to tenth place while the Auvergnats, who have not won for a month and a home success over Lorient, remain last in the ranking and more threatened than ever from relegation, three years after moving up to the elite.
Finally, with its victory against Le Havre (1-0), Stade de Reims returned to success, a “positive evening” for coach Will Still who would however “have loved” to move “fourth or fifth” midway through championship. The Reimois finished this first part of the season in eighth place, in contact with the four teams ahead of them (Lille, Marseille and Lens).
