Nothing stops Reims!
The equalizer snatched in the final second on Sunday in Paris (1-1), further reinforced the already very high confidence of its author, Folarin Balogun and the entire Reims team. Thus, even a completely failed start to the match at Auguste-Delaune, which allowed Lorient to lead 2-0 thanks to Enzo Le Fée (11th, well helped by a hand error from Yehvann Diouf) and Ibrahima Koné (36th), did not slow down the people of Champagne.
Relaunched by a penalty from Balogun (for a foul by Innocent, reported by the VAR) just before the break (44th), Will Still’s men unleashed in the second half. Ideally served by Abelhamid, Kamory Doumbia managed a superb controlled sequence directed by turning around-crossing strike from the right to equalize (51st). Then Balogun squarely offered himself a hat-trick, to bring his total to 14 goals this season in L 1 (15 in total).
First thanks to a recovery from the right at the near post on a cross from Ito (61st), then a volley from inside the left on an opening from Agbadou (64th). Thus, this insatiable and stunning SDR, ultimately winner (4-2), increased to fifteen games, including thirteen in Ligue 1 (five wins, eight draws) his remarkable series of invincibility. Too friable, the Hakes did not confirm their nice rebound against Rennes (2-1).
Toulouse goes on without shaking
Admittedly, Troyes opened the scoring, on a penalty obtained (for a fault by Dupé) and transformed by Mama Baldé (12th). But the TFC never really doubted, since less than four minutes later, they equalized by Dallinga (on a service from Van Den Boomen) and were then executed to win by a wide margin (4-1). With a fox goal from Chaïbi at the near post on a corner from Van Den Boomen (36th), who after having succeeded in his seventh assist of the season in L1, followed up with his fourth goal, from a penalty (55th, for a foul by Salmier on Spierings), before Onaiwu scored in turn with a header from a Rouault hand-in following a corner from Sierro (88′). Since the spanking suffered in Marseille (1-6) on December 29, Toulouse has thus garnered thirteen points out of a possible fifteen (four successes, one draw).
Angers beats a disastrous record
And yet, Sima had opened the score with a shot from the left on a nice service from Bentaleb (13th). But the Angevin dream, however very modest, since it consisted of not holding alone the absolute record for the number of consecutive defeats in the entire history of Ligue 1, i.e. 13, was shattered in a restrained crash (loss 1- 2 at home). Because the young center-forward of AC Ajaccio Moussa Soumano (17) scored his first goal in L1, on his very first ball (65th, just after coming into play), then Souleymane Doumbia was excluded (following the intervention of the VAR) for a big sole on Marchetti (78th) and ten against eleven, the SCO cracked at the end on a goal from El-Idrissy, opportunist (90th + 4). Thus snatching a capital success for the Corsican club in the breathless race to maintain. In which Angers, last taken down, no longer really appears.
Lille skates, Clermont capitalizes
After their defeat in Nice (0-1) on Sunday, LOSC again showed offensive clumsiness, this time at home, against solid Clermont (0-0). It’s not for lack of trying, since Lille have shot 23 times but only five have missed target. Pascal Gastien’s men, they could have scored by Cham, who found the bar (36th).
But the Auvergnats will however be satisfied with this point, which allows them to already total thirty after 21 days and thus take a new step towards maintaining, thanks to this fifth match without defeat in a row (three wins, two draws) with just two goals conceded.