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A fantastic weekend for the leading figures of Portugal’s Ligue 1 contingent saw José Fonte score a rare goal to send Lille to the top of the table in France, the same afternoon that defender Pedro Mendes scored the scoreboard for Montpellier.
Meanwhile, Anthony Lopes kept a clean sheet as Lyon moved into second place with an impressive 1-0 win over champion Paris Saint-Germain, while Andre Villas-Boas and Marseille are in a strong contest at the top end. after registering their sixth consecutive victory in the League.
Lille’s 2-1 win over Bordeaux on Sunday afternoon put them at the top of the table for what could have been just a few hours, before the PSG-Lyon clash later in the evening. Lille’s victory saw them overtake champion PSG, with captain José Fonte proving to be the winner of the match with a magnificent header at half time.
Fonte, who celebrated his 37th His birthday at the end of this month has once again become almost ubiquitous this season for Lille and his goal was his first in the league since last October. Renato Sanches missed the Bordeaux match as he struggles to shake off an injury, while midfielder Xeka and defender Tiago Djaló were introduced as substitutes at the end.
Lyon stuns PSG
Lille remained at the top of the standings at the end of the weekend after Paris Saint-Germain lost 1-0 at home to Lyon at the Parc des Princes. Lyon’s victory meant that they also rose above the Parisians to second place in Ligue 1, with only goal difference separating them from Lille in first place and both teams leading the champions by one point.
Anthony Lopes kept the goal for Lyon as usual, and the Portuguese international kept a clean sheet for the third time in his last four outings. Lopes recently celebrated its 350th appearance for his hometown club, where he is currently the 7th-The holder with the greatest appearance in its history.
Marseille keeps winning
Marseille could soon be on top of all the aforementioned teams, as Andre Villas-Boas’s team moved to a two-point lead with two games in hand. Marseille won for the sixth straight match on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Monaco, meaning they are at 4th place but having played two games less than the previous ones.
Villas-Boas was suspended for the match, having received a red card during last week’s win over Nimes, after which the former Porto manager admitted that he “deserved” his penalty. Speaking after watching his team beat Monaco, Villas-Boas praised the mentality of his players as they continue to win in Ligue 1.
“Great strength of character”
“The first part was very good,” said the Portuguese. “We controlled the ball and gave them difficulty with the diamond. We were incredible. In the second half, everyone saw fatigue set in. The boys were extremely tired, we returned at 4.30 in the morning from Manchester. It is a very, very important victory for us.
“I am very very happy. With our different systems, we have an element of surprise that we did not have last year. It is more difficult for the opponents to prepare for their match and it is interesting for us. Emotionally, it was very hard with the end of the adventure. So to make a performance like that, I say bravo to the team, it’s an important victory against a direct opponent.
“We want to be close to the top and we can take advantage of this weekend. We show great strength of character ”.
Mendes on target for Montpellier
Montpellier are in 5th place after beating Lens 3-2 in an entertaining clash on Saturday. Pedro Mendes, who scored in another goalscoring match against Strasbourg a few weeks ago, got the second for Montpellier in the first half. Elsewhere, Rony Lopes was an unused substitute in Nice’s 1-0 home loss to Rennes.
By Sean Gillen
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