© EuroFootball.com
Yesterday in the highest French "Ligue 1" championship, eight matches of the 10th round were played. "Lille" club defeated newcomer "Lorient" with a minimum result, "Monaco" lost at home to "Toulouse" team, "Sochaux" won against "Bordeaux" after a tough fight, "St Etienne" beat "Le Mans", "Valenciennes" smashed "Troyes", "Nancy" and "Rennes" narrowly defeated "Nantes" and "Nice" respectively, while the match between "Sedan" and "Lens" ended in a high-scoring draw of 2-2.
One of the most interesting matches took place at the "Stade Louis II" arena in Monaco, where local "Monaco" met last year's underdog "Toulouse" club. Worried fans of the home team were calmed down in the 11th minute of the match when "Toulouse" striker Bryan Bergougnoux scored a goal. However, unwilling to surrender, the hosts equalized just two minutes later. The goal was scored by the Italian Marco Di Vaio.
In the second half, it seemed that both teams would settle for a draw, but the whole course of the match changed in the 85th minute with a precise strike from Sweden national team player and "Toulouse" player Johan Elmander. Unable to hold their nerves, the hosts were forced to finish the match with 10 men, as defender Leandro Cufre was sent off for a second yellow card. Taking advantage of the numerical superiority, a minute later the "violet team" secured a point in the match when "Monaco" goalkeeper Flavio Roma was defeated by Achille Emana.
This ordinary defeat for "Monaco" pushed them down to 17th place, while the discovery of the championship, "Toulouse", remains in the top four.
In another match, "Nancy" club clashed with the underdog "Nantes". The only goal of the match was scored by the home team in the 53rd minute. Mickael Chretien found the net. But to make matters worse, with 15 minutes remaining, "Nancy" defender Pape Diakhate was sent off. However, the visitors failed to score a goal and the match ended with a minimal win for "Nancy".
By earning three more points, "Nancy" solidified their position in 3rd place in the standings, while "Nantes" remains close to the bottom.
The most intense battle took place in Sedan, where "Sedan" players faced off against "Lens". The first goal came in the 5th minute when Ivory Coast and "Lens" striker Aruna Dindane scored. About half an hour into the game, Seydou Keita doubled the lead for "Lens".
In the second half, the hosts grabbed a goal in the 65th minute to narrow the lead, as Jerome Lemoigne sent the ball into the net of "Lens" goalkeeper Charles Itandje. It seemed like "Lens" would celebrate their fifth victory, but only in added time did the "Sedan" team manage to turn the game around. In the 90th minute, Marcus Mokake scored.
In another match, worthy rivals "Sochaux" and "Bordeaux" faced each other. There was no need to wait long for goals. Already in the 4th minute, "Sochaux" team took the lead with a goal from forward Alvaro Dos Santos. In the second half, Valter Birsa doubled the score in the 69th minute. In the final minute of the match, a penalty was awarded to the hosts, which was easily converted by Pierre Ducasse.
After this defeat, "Bordeaux" failed to catch up with the leading teams, while "Sochaux" rose to the 10th position.
In another match, the league's bottom two teams, "Rennes" and "Nice", faced each other. Both teams wanted to climb out of the bottom of the standings. However, "Nice" team was disrupted in the 7th minute by the expulsion of defender Cedric Varrault. The hosts took advantage of this opportunity at the beginning of the second half when Olivier Monterrubio scored from the penalty spot.
This victory lifted "Rennes" to the middle of the standings, while "Nice" remains at the bottom.
In another match, league leaders "St Etienne" faced the mid-table team "Le Mans". An own goal in the 3rd minute by "Le Mans" defender Gregory Cerdan put "St Etienne" in the lead. Frederic Piquionne secured the victory for the "green team" in the 68th minute. Just three minutes before the end of the match, the scorer of the second goal was sent off the field.
However, this did not prevent the "St Etienne" team from taking three points and now they have 17 in total, remaining fourth, while "Le Mans" moves up to the seventh position.
In another match, the league newcomer "Valenciennes" faced off against "Troyes". With 32 minutes played, the hosts broke the deadlock. Sebastien Roudet scored. But after eight minutes, "Troyes" defender Gael Sanzas equalized.
In the second half, there were red cards and goals galore. In the 46th minute, the referee immediately showed a red card to the home team's defender Jose Saez. However, even playing with ten men, "Valenciennes" managed to take the lead in the 53rd minute when, for the second time in this match, Sebastien Roudet defeated "Troyes" goalkeeper Ronan Le Crom.
Nerves were also lost by "Troyes" player Eloge Enza Yamissi, who had to leave his team with fate after receiving his second yellow card in the 78th minute. All the intrigue in the 78th minute was eliminated by another goal from "Valenciennes" player Thomas Dossevi.
After this dramatic victory, "Valenciennes" approaches the leaders, who were quite far ahead, and "Troyes" continues to occupy the 17th position.
In the last matches of the day, the UEFA Champions League participant "Lille" faced newcomer "Lorient". The only goal of the match was scored by the home team. Mathieu Bodmer converted a penalty in the 35th minute.
Results of Saturday's French Ligue 1 championship matches:
"Monaco" 1 – 3 "Toulouse" 11‘ [0 – 1] Bryan Bergougnoux 13‘ [1 – 1] Marco Di Vaio 85‘ [1 – 2] Johan Elmander 90‘ [1 – 3] Achille Emana
84‘ Leandro Cufre ("Monaco") sent off the field
"Nancy" 1 – 0 "Nantes" 53‘ [1 – 0] Mickael Chretien
74‘ Pape Diakhate ("Nancy") sent off the field
"Sedan" 2 – 2 "Lens" 4‘ [0 – 1] Aruna Dindane 30‘ [0 – 2] Seydou Keita 65‘ [1 – 2] Jerome Lemoigne 90‘ [2 – 2] Marcus Mokake
"Sochaux" 2 – 1 "Bordeaux" 4‘ [1 – 0] Alvaro Dos Santos 69‘ [2 – 0] Valter Birsa 90‘ [2 – 1] Pierre Ducasse (pen.)
"Rennes" 1 -0 "Nice" 57‘ [1 – 0] Olivier Monterrubio (pen.)
7‘ Cedric Varrault ("Nice") sent off the field
"St Etienne" 2 – 0 "Le Mans" 3‘ [1 – 0] Gregory Cerdan (own goal) 68‘ [2 – 0] Frederic Piquionne
"Valenciennes" 3 -1 "Troyes" 32‘ [1 – 0] Sebastien Roudet 40‘ [1 – 1] Gael Sanz 53‘ [2 – 1] Sebastien Roudet 78‘ [3 – 1] Thomas Dossevi
46‘ Jose Saez ("Valenciennes") sent off the field 64‘ Eloge Enza Yamissi ("Troyes") sent off the field
"Lille" 1 – 0 "Lorient" 35‘ [1 – 0] Mathieu Bodmer (pen.)
