Paris and Monaco fall, OM emerges from the fog, what to remember from the 33rd matchday of Ligue 1

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: Valery HACHE / AFP 23:51 p.m., April 30, 2023

Five days before the end of the season, the favourites of the Championship lose valuable points! On Sunday, it was OM who took advantage thanks to two supersonic minutes, concluded by goals from Cengiz Ünder and Alexis Sanchez (75th and 77th) while Auxerre led 1-0 at the Velodrome. This success snatched in extremis against the 14th of the ranking, which fights for the maintenance, allows the Marseillais to secure their place on the podium (2nd) and to return to five points of Paris, while distancing Lens (3rd) by four lengths pending the match of the Blood and Gold Tuesday (21:00) in Toulouse, winner of the Coupe de France.

Lens and Marseille then have an appointment in Bollaert on Saturday (21:00) for a decisive shock for direct qualification for the Champions League. PSG will have an eye on this meeting, because it begins again to doubt, after yet another tasteless performance. The numerical inferiority after the exclusion of Achraf Hakimi in the 20th minute did not help the Parisians, certainly, but their match at the Parc des Princes was not worthy of a potential champion... His only goal, via Kylian Mbappe, was only scored on a total misunderstanding of Breton goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo, who literally offered the ball to the French striker.

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Monaco at its worst

But the Merlus logically imposed themselves thanks to Enzo Le Fée, Darlin Yongwa and Bamba Dieng, inflicting PSG its third home defeat in the last four matches played at the Park. After hearing the whistles coming from the fans, the football advisor Luis Campos took the floor to demand on Canal + "a reaction" of the players to "not lose the head".

The atmosphere was just as gloomy in Monaco earlier in the day. The Monegasques have clearly not digested the slap received eight days ago at the Bollaert stadium against Lens (3-0), their competitor for qualification in the Champions League. Without reaction and apathetic, the club of the Rock comes out with one more humiliation at home against Montpellier, one of the teams in form of the moment. A double from Arnaud Nordin, a goal from Faitout Maouassa and a goal from Stephy Mavididi extinguished the hopes of Monaco, who remain fourth and are now nine points behind OM.

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Angers in Ligue 2

"We have to look in the mirror after this game. We have to go back to basics: find structure, aggressiveness and work without the ball. It's up to us to bounce back and prove that we deserve (Europe)," said coach Philippe Clement, aware that Monaco (4th, 61 points) is now under threat from Lille (5th, 59 pts), winner Saturday against Ajaccio (3-0). Before Brest-Nantes on Wednesday (21:00), Ligue 1 has officially experienced its first relegation and it is Angers, red lantern of the Championship since the 12th day.

A 25th defeat this season, in Rennes (4-2), formalized a news that was hardly in doubt for the SCO, after eight seasons in the elite. Overwhelmed by extra-sporting affairs and in perdition on the field, the Angevin team is 18 points behind Nantes, Brest and Strasbourg, who are currently fighting for the place of first non-relegable. A delay impossible to fill, with five more matches on the calendar.

With its victory, Rennes finds itself 6th, sandwiched between Lille and Lyon, winner Friday in Strasbourg (2-1). Clermont and Nice, victorious Sunday respectively against Reims (1-0) and Troyes (1-0), complete this top of the table, in 8th and 9th place. The Auvergnats have chained a fifth success in a row.