Sunday, 1 December, 2019

Stade Rennais FC 2-1 AS Saint-Étienne

Julien Stéphan (Rennes coach): "What I liked most was the way we played in the second half. We took total control of the game. We were quite intelligent in the way we worked towards the win, and we were good in winning the ball back very quickly. It's very encouraging. We looked fresh, and had said to the players the last 15 minutes would be crucial. The substitutes were key, especially Siebatcheu, who played very well as a pivot up front. We have picked up nine points from 12 in the last four games. After three home wins on the bounce, we have to make Roazhon Park a fortress. We have to find that consistency we've been lacking over the last two months."

Claude Puel (Saint-Étienne coach): "It's cruel to concede a goal in added time at the end of the game. We deserved a draw. It's a shame, because we could have done better in the first half, we could have made them doubt even more. We conceded two avoidable goals, the second coming from a mistake with our marking."

FC Nantes 2-1 Toulouse FC

Christian Gourcuff (Nantes coach): "It's a game we couldn't really enjoy because we were always waiting for a sort of calmness which only comes with the scoreline. We had a lot of chances to give ourselves room for error and we weren't able to do it…The last five minutes weren't normal. It was ridiculous, incredible generalised panic. That shows our immaturity in how we control matches. As long as we don't kill the game off, we'll be open to that kind of uncertainty and those sorts of emotions. I can't be happy with the performance, even if the three points are the most important thing."

Antoine Kombouaré (Toulouse coach): "I'd like to congratulate my players. I liked what they did and their attitude, because it's difficult to play against Nantes and with their fans."

Saturday, 30 November, 2019

RC Strasbourg Alsace 1-2 Olympique Lyonnais

Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "When you lose 2-1 after opening the scoring, it's because something has gone wrong. We can only be angry with ourselves. We played well in the first half but we didn't end the half in front like we had the possibility of doing. Everything was decided in the last 25 metres and I'm more disappointed from a defensive standpoint than an attacking one."

Rudi Garcia (Lyon coach): "We got home from Saint-Petersburg at five in the morning on Thursday so it's normal that some of the lads suffered from cramp. We're not cheats and that's something I explained to Thierry Laurey, someone I adore. We were really shattered. This was a real squad victory and I really appreciated the team effort and the way everybody gave everything."

LOSC 1-0 Dijon FCO

Stéphane Jobard (Dijon coach): "It was a game of two halves and we didn't weigh in enough from an attacking standpoint in the first half. We were very poor in the first half. In the second half we had chances to get back on terms and we need to make the most of our strong spells. What's annoying is that we conceded at the end of the first half. We had chances away from home and when you get them you need to put the ball in the back of the net."

Christophe Galtier (Lille coach): "I thought we played well in the first half and we conceded very few chances, played attacking football and controlled the game. It started to become more difficult for us from the hour onwards but sometimes it's good to win in such a manner. We played as a team even if in the second half we have up too many chances and didn't take our own. I'm still looking for my best team and it's up to the players to seize their chance when they're picked."

Nîmes Olympique 1-1 FC Metz

Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "I'll retain the point for the draw and we didn't deserve anymore. We came back into it in the second half because of the energy we put into it. We mustn't allow doubt to take over. Just before the equalising goal, Renaud Ripart had asked to go off as he had a dead leg. It shows his spirit and the team spirit."

Vincent Hognon (Metz coach): "We deserved better than this result. I'm disappointed because I liked the attitude on a collective level. The win was there to be taken and we had the chances to kill off the game, unfortunately we didn't take them. It's enough to make you want to bang your head against the wall. It's infuriating to return to Metz with but a single point."

Montpellier Hérault SC 4-2 Amiens SC

Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "We knew it would be a difficult side against a team that had just lost 4-0 at home and wanted to bounce back. It was a difficult game, even if we won it 4-2 and controlled things better at 11 v 10. Their red card helped us. It's good that our attacking players scored as that will give confidence to those players, something important for us. We'll try to back it up at Dijon despite the suspensions we'll have in defence."

Luka Elsner (Amiens coach): "We conceded four goals and gave away a needless red card. The assessment is very negative given the amount of goals we conceded, but I want to retain the fact that I saw my team try to bounce back. We're not going to lay down our arms and we're going to pull together at this difficult time. We dropped off as soon as we were down to 10 men. The red card pushed us underwater."

Stade de Reims 1-1 Girondins de Bordeaux

David Guion (Reims coach): "My players believed in it right until the end and the goal duly came but overall there's frustration given the way we played. I'm very proud that my players didn't give up and got the goal in the 93^rd minute as it proves the exemplary attitude of my squad. Even at 10 v 11, we dominated Bordeaux and that's not easy to do. We deserved to equalise but when you dominate a side with top five ambitions like Bordeaux then you need to win the game."

Paulo Sousa (Bordeaux coach): "Our display was far off what we're capable of achieving both from an individual and team point of view. Our opponents played better than us and would have deserved better. My team wasn't capable of playing with the same intensity as Reims. I regret the facet that lots of my players tried to play a game that isn't ours. It's a learning proves and we need to keep improving as we know there will be difficult matches this season."

OGC Nice 3-1 Angers SCO

Patrick Vieira (Nice coach): "It was a difficult scenario and the first goal put doubt in our minds. Despite the goal and the problems from a psychological standpoint, we kept playing. At half-time I said we needed to get the ball wide and get in behind and in the end we deserved the win. We played football and there was some beautiful football played at times. In order to be consistent, we need to believe in what we're putting into place."

Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "After a mediocre first half that finished 1-1, we played much better in the second half but lost it 2-0. That's football and the score doesn't always reflect what's going on on the pitch. The scoreline is harsh. I'm not contesting the Nice win but it was closer to a 2-2 game than a 3-1. I regret the mistakes we made after scoring as they were unusual errors for us to commit."

Friday, 29 November, 2019

Olympique de Marseille 2-1 Stade Brestois 29

Andre Villas-Boas (Marseille coach): "It's our best match of the season, but also the most stressful. I was a little concerned about some of the players being tired because of the pressing they did for 90 minutes. We had 34 shots, 13 inside the penalty area. We could have won 5-1. Everything was perfect: the pressing, winning the ball back, our play. It ended with a minute of terror and a minute of magic. It's just a shame that we suffered a bit at the end when we sat back a bit and conceded a goal. Being second gives us confidence and calmness."

Olivier Dall'Oglio (Brest coach): "The result doesn't reflect the match even if we scored a nice goal against the run of play. We were well organised, but we weren't there technically. I expected us to be less timid. We must be able to hold out a bit more at the end. We were too calm. We have a young team, we lack experience. But I've rarely seen such fragility and naïvety this season. We weren't able to up our game, physically and technically, and in terms of speed and vision. We moved the ball too slowly. Sometimes, we were like little boys. I'm not happy with what I saw."