It is not only the final of the Champions League of Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday against Bayern Munich: Ligue 1 has resumed after five and a half months of stoppage due to the coronavirus crisis. During this first day of the championship, already marked by postponements, Nîmes made a strong impression against Brest (4-0), while Lille and Rennes neutralized each other in the competition for Europe.
Goals for this first day
In Nîmes, the lucky ones who were part of this maximum capacity of 5,000 people at the Costières stadium will have had their money's worth! While Crocodile Week was completely upset by the discovery of four cases of coronavirus in the professional group, Nîmes Olympique was indeed the author of the weekend's card, against Brest (4-0). And to think that the maintenance of the meeting has long been questioned, like the situation in Marseille, where OM also reached the bar of four positive cases and saw their match against Saint-Etienne postponed.
There were also shows in Monaco, where coach Niko Kovac experienced a first Ligue 1 match rich in twists and turns. Against Reims (2-2), ASM has multiplied the opportunities, but the Champenois, qualified this season for the preliminary rounds of the Europa League, showed themselves to be icy opportunism. Led 2-0, the partners of Wissam Ben Yedder had to whip until the end to catch up, thanks to their two central defenders, the former ... Rémois Axel Disasi (45th + 3) and the young Benoit Badiashile, author of a sensational sequence to equalize (55th).
Angers first winner of the season
For his return to the top flight, Lorient was also led by Strasbourg before coming back to the score, and even winning (3-1), with already a goal for the flagship rookie of the Breton transfer window Adrian Grbic. Alsatians, too, had been disturbed by many cases of Covid-19 in recent weeks.
Les Merlus are second, just ahead of Angers, winner 1-0 in Dijon on Saturday. Follow behind all the authoring teams of a draw, including two candidates for Europe, Lille and Rennes, who neutralized each other on Saturday night (1-1). The day before, at the opening of the season, Bordeaux and Nantes had drawn.
The results of the 1st day
Bordeaux - Nantes: 0-0
Dijon - Angers: 0-1
Lille - Rennes: 1-1
Monaco - Reims: 2-2
Nîmes - Brest: 4-0
Lorient - Strasbourg: 3-1
Nice - Lens: 17 hours
Montpellier - Lyon: September 15
Paris - Metz: September 16
Marseille - Saint-Étienne: September 17