Paris (AFP)

Rennes, surprising third in Ligue 1, was stopped Tuesday in Lille (1-0) but will remain on the podium at the end of the 23rd day, ahead of the Northerners but far ahead of Monaco, which however finally reacted against Angers (1 -0), the first championship victory of coach Robert Moreno.

The Stade Rennes had managed to turn around a very, very badly embarked situation on Friday in the derby against Nantes (3-2 victory after being led 2-1 until the 94th minute).

In Lille, Julien Stéphan's men had a whole meeting to try to repeat this kind of reversal, after the early goal of Loïc Rémy from the 4th minute, but they did not reproduce their final quarter of an hour of madness on the lawn of the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, where the Losc is decidedly difficult to beat (a defeat this season, against Paris SG).

Worse, the Bretons lost the one who had saved them four days earlier, Raphinha, who came out on injury in the first period.

On the other hand, success fell well for Lille, because it confirmed the victory acquired in extremis in Strasbourg during the weekend (2-1) and offered Christophe Galtier and his men real hopes in the standings.

Fourth in L1 with 37 points, the Northerners indeed returned to three units from their evening opponents.

- Jovetic still goalscorer -

With 32 points, Monaco is not far behind. But more than the classification of the ASM, returned in the first half of the table, it is the taste of the victory which makes good on the Rock.

Coach Robert Moreno had still not won in four Ligue 1 games, and this is done against a team from Angers not rewarded for their many efforts.

The Spanish technician is nevertheless still groping, as Monaco has been shy, to the point of failing to sink in the last seconds on attempts by Casimir Ninga and Vincent Manceau.

He will be able to be satisfied with a paying tactical choice, that of having established alongside Wissam Ben Yedder the Montenegrin Stevan Jovetic, already scorer during the defeat at home against Strasbourg on January 25 (3-1).

The attacker shone further by depositing a superb head, blind and from the back of the skull, to register the only goal of the meeting (18th). On an initial inspiration from the rookie Youssouf Fofana, another positive point of the evening.

However, it will take many more for the Monegasques if they want to fight for European places.

Europe, Paris SG is already thinking about it, a few days before its eighth finals in the Champions League in Dortmund. Before that, there is still later in the evening a trip to Nantes for the leader. Deprived of Neymar on slight injury, certainly, but taken away by his doublet Mbappé-Icardi.

Results of the 23rd day:

Tuesday

Monaco - Angers 1 - 0

Lille - Rennes 1 - 0

(9:05 p.m.) Nantes - Paris SG

Wednesday

(7 p.m.) Toulouse - Strasbourg

Montpellier - Metz

Nîmes - Dijon

Lyon - Amiens

Reims - Nice

Brest - Bordeaux

(9 p.m.) Saint-Etienne - Marseille

© 2020 AFP