Marseille, Brest, Eric Bailly
Match Reports

Marseille set for third, Monaco out of top five

Marseille set for third, Monaco out of top five

Match Reports
Publish on 05/27 at 23:17 - I. HOLYMAN

Share

Marseille saw their chances of finishing second in Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season and qualifying automatically for next season's UEFA Champions League disappear as they were beaten at home by Brest on Saturday. Elsehwere, Rennes defeated Monaco and Lille won to knock the principality side out of the top five.

Marseille 1-2 Brest

With Lens winning at home to Ajaccio, Marseille are now destined to finish third as Igor Tudor's side slipped to a third defeat in their last four league outings. Already left with only an outside chance of overhauling their rivals to claim runners-up spot behind champions Paris Saint-Germain, OM struggled to cope with a Brest side that has found form under ex-Marseille midfielder Eric Roy, picking up 20 points since the end of March to secure their top-flight status.

 

Pau Lopez was required to keep out a Mathias Pereira Lage shot (26') before Vitinha (33') and Valentin Rongier (36') both might have opened the scoring, the latter forcing Marco Bizot into his first serious save of the night.

 

 

It was instead Brest midfielder and locally born boyhood Marseille fan Hugo Magnetti who found the net first, seeing his shot deflect off Chancel Mbemba to beat Lopez and put the visitors ahead just before the hour mark (57').

 

Steve Mounié then went close to a second (65') before Mbemba powered home a header (75') that looked like it might salvage a point - if not runners-up spot - for the hosts only for Mahdi Camara to head home from close range (81') to give Roy an eighth win in his 20th match in charge, the highest winning percentage of any coach in Brest history, and leave OM contemplating a perilous route to the Champions League group stage via the third qualifying round and a play-off.

 

Rennes 2-0 Monaco

Rennes moved into the top five — and a European qualifying place — at the expense of their opponents, who suffered a damaging fourth defeat in a run of six matches that may well cost them continental competition next season.

 

Rennes, by contrast, have now won five of their last seven matches after goals from Lovro Majer (52') and Amine Gouiri (73'), who took his league tally to 15 in his debut season with the club, gave them a win that leaves them in fifth ahead of Monaco on goal difference ahead of the final match of the season.

 

Lille 2-1 Nantes

Jonathan David scored both goals as Lille moved into fourth place and a Europa League qualifying berth, taking advantage of Monaco's defeat at Roazhon Park.

 

Nantes travelled north in the bottom four and needing points in their two-team tussle with Auxerre to remain in the top flight this season. They made a good start too with Quentin Merlin putting them ahead on 18 minutes, and Ignatius Ganago would have added a second but for Lucas Chevalier in the home goal (45').

 

 

 

David first struck early in the second half - netting Lille's 11th penalty of the season, the most in Europe's top five leagues after Rémy Cabella had been brought down by Charles Traoré (51'). There was another spot-kick in the latter stages too though it had to be retaken after Alban Lafont had saved David's initial effort (85'). The Nantes goalkeeper was seen to have not had his feet on his goalline when David shot; the retake found the net, going high beyond Lafont even though he went the right way to leave Lille's European ambitions in their own hands and take Nantes' survival hopes out of theirs.

 

Montpellier 2-3 Nice

Neither side had much to play for at the Stade de la Mosson, so instead they entertained. Téji Savanier was entertainer-in-chief in the first half as he took his league tally to 12 goals this season, netting twice.

 

Just seven minutes in, he fired home from the edge of the area after picking up a pass from Stephy Mavididi and he then tucked away a penalty on 17 minutes, beating Kasper Schmeichel from 12 yards with ease to leave his side firmly in control.

 

 

Mavididi would have netted a third but for a fine stop from Schmiechel (33'), and the save from the Denmark international provided the platform for a second-half Nice revival.

 

Ross Barkley sent a shot pass Benjamin Lecomte (53') to pull one back before former Montpellier man Gaëtan Laborde took centre stage. Terem Moffi picked out Laborde, who exchanged passes with Barkley before smashing home a shot (67').

 

He then struck again just four minutes later with Hicham Boudaoui and Moffi again involved in the build-up to give Didier Digard's side a third win in their last five league matches.

 

Toulouse 1-1 Auxerre

Nantes are two points from safety with a game left to play after Auxerre picked up a draw at Toulouse. 

 

Toulouse's season has slowed to virtually a halt after winning the Coupe de France and Philippe Montanier's men have now won just one of their last five league games after drawing a blank at home.

 

 

Auxerre went in front through Rayan Raveloson, who fired a magnificent effort beyond Maxime Dupé from 20 metres, bending it into the far corner (24') for his second league goal of the season. But Zakaria Aboukhlal found the net a minute before the break to equalise with a diving header (44') to keep Auxerre's top-flight future in the balance.

 

>> MATCH REPORT:  PSG secure 11th title