Paris (AFP)

Lyon ends the year leader!

Relentless against Nantes (3-0), OL will spend the holidays at the top of Ligue 1 just ahead of Lille, defender of Montpellier (3-2), and Paris SG, 4-0 winner of Strasbourg.

Disillusions for Marseille, cooled in Angers (2-1), and Nîmes, new red lantern.

- Lyon new leader, Lille and Paris dolphins -

Lyon has regained all its bite: deprived of the European Cup for the first time in the 21st century, Jean-Michel Aulas' club ended the year in style by seizing the first place in L1 on goal difference , by virtue of a large victory against Nantes in the midst of a crisis.

At home, Rudi Garcia's team won thanks to Karl Toko Ekambi (4th), Tino Kadewere (37th) and the indispensable Brazilian Lucas Paqueta (44th) against ghostly Nantes for the last on the bench. interim coach Patrick Collot, about to be replaced by former French coach Raymond Domenech.

Thanks to a better goal difference (+20 against +19), Lyon (36 pts) double Lille (36 pts) while Losc snatched the victory in Montpellier on a providential goal from Burak Yilmaz (86th).

Previously, a header from Gaëtan Laborde (57th) and a sumptuous chisel from Andy Delort (70th) responded to Lille's goals: a nice outside foot signed Timothy Weah (23rd) and a penalty from Jonathan Ikoné (68th).

The Parisians, them, follow the rhythm: quiet winners of Strasbourg with goals from Timothée Pembélé (18th), Kylian Mbappé (80th), Idrissa Gueye (88th) and Moise Kean (90th + 1), the players of the capital (3rd , 35 pts) end the year 2020 on a good note despite a massacre of injuries, including the superstar Neymar, expected on the lawns in January.

- Rennes goes on, Marseille disillusioned -

After a dull autumn, the Rennais found the light: they sealed a fourth success in a row Wednesday night against Metz (1-0), on a goal from Clément Grenier (52nd), settling in fourth place in the standings with 31 points.

Conversely, OM follows an opposite curve: after six straight wins in L1, the Marseillais have signed a draw and two defeats in their last three matches, still showing a very worrying face in Angers despite a final start.

André Villas-Boas's team found themselves trapped on goals from Mathias Pereira Lage (4th) and Loïs Diony (23rd).

And while Dimitri Payet came up against goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni from the penalty spot (71st), the lobed header from Valentin Rongier (75th) was not enough.

In short, despite its two late matches, Marseille (5th, 28 pts) must now look more behind him than in front since four teams with 27 points are behind OM.

Besides Montpellier and Angers, there is Monaco, which snatched a 2-2 draw against Saint-Etienne despite the early exclusion of young Eliot Matazo (35th).

Another sharing of points for the Greens, undefeated for six matches ... for five draws.

There is also Lens which ended the year in style against Brest (2-1) thanks to Arnaud Kalimuendo, scorer (11th) then at the origin of a penalty that Florian Sotoca transformed (34th).

- Dijon sinks in Nîmes, Lorient with emotion -

At the bottom of the table, Reims signed one of the good operations by going to win 3-1 on the ground of Bordeaux to go up to 15th place.

But the masterstroke is signed Dijon which, for the first time since the fourth day, is no longer a red light: the Burgundians have transmitted the mistigri to their evening opponent Nîmes, beaten 3-1 on a double from Moussa Konaté ( 75th, 90th + 4) while the "Crocs" led until a nightmarish last quarter of an hour, with in particular the exclusion of Florian Miguel (76th).

David Linarès' team now has 12 pts, tied with Nîmes and the barrage Lorient.

The Lorient, led 2-0 in Nice, snatched an unexpected draw (2-2) in a match heavy with emotions for them with a minute of silence in tribute to a gardener killed on Sunday at the Moustoir stadium by the fall of a heated gantry intended for the treatment of the lawn.

© 2020 AFP