On Sunday, there was a hot match for "Lyon" in the French championship. Equally matched "Monaco" from the previous round erased a two-goal deficit against "Troyes", while Bruno Genesio's students had to struggle equally against "Amiens" as visitors.
The home team started a serious fight from the very beginning, and Serge Gakpe led them forward already in the ninth minute. Then they did not allow the opponents to dominate, despite the need for another goal.
"Lyon" only equalized the score in the second half, when Houssem Aouar scored after a penalty kick. However, their joy could quickly end, as Lucas Tousart committed a foul in the penalty area in the 88th minute.
Fortunately for the visitors, Gael Kakuta's shot from 11 meters flew wide, and in panic, "Lyon" managed to extend the victory once again by scoring to Aouar.
In the second match of the day, the "Nice" footballers showed signs of recovery. They played away against "Nantes" and achieved victory.
Claudio Ranieri's students took the lead in these matches already in the 12th minute when Yacine Bammou scored a long-range goal. However, their opponents took advantage of longer ball control.
At the end of the first half, Alassane Plea restored balance with a headed goal after a corner kick.
The decisive goal came in the 75th minute, when the biggest "Nice" star Mario Balotelli made another great shot from outside the penalty area. This meant that Lucien Favre's students now jumped to the eighth position.
The last match of the evening, in which "Marseille" welcomed "Saint-Etienne" in front of their own fans, was less intense. The home team played better from the first moments.
Valere Germain led them forward already in the 11th minute after a corner kick, and Rudi Garcia's students did not diminish their rotations - in the first half, they controlled the ball for 74 percent of the playing time.
Immediately after the break, "Saint-Etienne" defender Ronael Pierre-Gabriel received a red card, so the outcome of the match became clear. The remaining formalities were sorted out by Germain scoring a brace and Ocampos extending the lead.
The situation in the "Ligue 1" league table remains such that "Marseille" has the same number of points as "Lyon" and "Monaco". It seems that these teams will be the ones fighting for a place behind "Paris Saint-Germain" this season and for tickets to the UEFA Champions League.
Results:
"Amiens" 1 - 2 "Lyon" [1-0] 9' Serge Gakpe [1-1] 79' Houssem Aouar 89' Gael Kakuta ("Amiens") missed a penalty from 11 meters [1-2] 90' Houssem Aouar
"Nantes" 1 - 2 "Nice" [1-0] 12' Yacine Bammou [1-1] 42' Alassane Plea [1-2] 75' Mario Balotelli
"Marseille" 3 - 0 "Saint-Etienne" [1-0] 11' Valere Germain 51' Ronael Pierre-Gabriel ("Saint-Etienne") sent off from the field [2-0] 71' Valere Germain [3-0] 80' Lucas Ocampos
