Wednesday, August 28, 2019

 OGC Nice 1 - 2 Olympique de Marseille 

Patrick Vieira (OGC Nice): "They were well organised and it was more complicated for us. Our difficulty was on the emotional level, really. We were always focused on the work we had to do. The players were really excellent in that respect. We showed our shortcomings and areas for improvement. I hope more players will arrive. Our goal is to strengthen the squad to try to develop our attacking play. We want to analyse this defeat and see how we can improve. We have to recover for the next match, in Rennes (Sunday, 15:00 CET). A list of players has been communicated to the former and new management teams. Now I look forward to seeing which recruits arrive by the end of the week."

André Villas-Boas (Olympique de Marseille coach): "We managed to score. We attacked well and defended well, too. It has been a long and difficult week for us. I am happy because the lads deserved this win. We did a good job on the tactical level. It'll give everyone confidence. We changed tactically and switched to 4-2-3-1 to control their midfield. [Newly signed Argentine striker Dario] Benedetto did some good things. He will work with us during the international break. We didn't get off to a great start this season, but we did get a win in Nice after ten days of rest. We now have to focus on Saint-Étienne, which will be an intense match (Sunday at 21:00 CET). If we finish with seven points before the break, that would be nice."

 LOSC Lille 3 - 0 AS Saint-Étienne 

Christophe Galtier (LOSC coach): "Our start was very average but, as time went on, the team managed to put impose its game. The fact that we created a lot of danger - and converted our chances - is the result of hard work done by the players throughout the week. But our start was slow, the team lacked pep. Saint-Étienne are playing in European and against a direct opponent like that, you have to raise your level of play and put a lot more into the game. We that up with a win. [About Victor Osimhen] He can still get a lot better; he's only 20 years old. I had decided not to start him because we're going to play a series of matches and he's going to play twice with his national team during the break. He wasn't upset about not starting; he just came on and did his job, proving to be a decisive figure in the match, and not just because of his goals."

Ghislain Printant (Saint-Etienne coach): "We lost deservedly to opponents who were superior to us even if, in the first period, in terms of content and organisation, we were in the process of achieving what we wanted. In the recovery of the ball, the team was in place, but we weren't sharp enough offensively; we lacked quality with the final pass or two. We were unable to put Lille in danger and, quite logically, we were attacked and conceded this heavy defeat, which hurts. We came with other intentions but, unfortunately, we didn't succeed because of Lille's quality display." 

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

 Montpellier Hérault SC 1-0 Olympique Lyonnais 

Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "We fully deserved our win even if Lyon had three chances. We attacked well, and defended well as a team. We did everything to bring them central and avoid opening up the flanks. We lacked a little precision to punish them a bit more and have a calmer end to the game. We did everything better than in our first two matches."

Sylvinho (Lyon coach): "We knew it would be tough to play at Montpellier, who are very physical. The two forwards battled a lot, caused us problems. We struggled with their shots from distance, despite having prepared for Montpellier's strategy. Even though we battled to the end, we didn't manage to get what we were looking for. We gave our opponents too many opportunities, and made the end of the game too tough. When you're chasing the game, it makes it more difficult to counter long balls. We were getting a little desperate in the closing stages."

Sunday, August 25, 2019

 Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Toulouse FC 

Thomas Tuchel (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "It was a deserved win. The right result after a good match. We attacked a lot and we attacked well. We also won a lot of ball in the opposition half. It was a good mix. Choupo-Moting? It was good. He never lost confidence. Since the start of the season, he has given it everything. For an attacker, it's important to score goals. He deserves it."

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Paris Saint-Germain forward): "First of all, it was a win, even if scoring twice was nice. Everything happened very quickly. Edinson Cavani got injured and I had to come on, without warming up. We played well, controlled the match. I'm very happy to have scored."

Alain Casanova (Toulouse FC coach): "For 50 minutes we managed to make them doubt themselves; our game plan was quite promising. But then, it was a much more difficult second half. When you concede the first goal after five minutes, it becomes difficult. Then you concede a second one, and then the team has the impression that it will be impossible to get back into the match. The scoreline is harsh given the first 50 minutes we played but this is the highest level, and that's what it's like. I'm frustrated and disappointed for my players, but at the same time there were positives to take from this match."

 AS Monaco 2-2 Nîmes Olympique 

Leonardo Jardim (Monaco coach): "This isn't a good point because Monaco are playing to win. I'm not afraid to lose late in a game but it's a new feeling for me. I'm sad for the players. We must respect the club and everyone who works here. We could have been 3-0 ahead through Gelson [Martins] but everything changed with [Jemerson's] red card [on 55 minutes]. We didn't finish with ten fit players, but eight. Many have arrived who haven't done pre-season. Adrien [Silva] arrived on Saturday, [Islam] Slimani and [Wissam] Ben Yedder were late. It's a risk we took as a club. It was part of our strategy."

Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "I'm not sure if it's a point won or two lost. I think we'll say it' s a good point, good for the lads. We know we'll be ready for the fight later so we don't want to slip too far down the table now. We could also have won if we'd been more efficient in the first half. Being 2-0 down was hard but I'm not worried about my players' attitude. We need to train together, though. We're behind in our preparation, like Monaco. We have a lot of work to do in defence and attack."

Saturday, August 24, 2019

 Amiens SC 1-2 FC Nantes 

Luka Elsner (Amiens coach): "The red card changed the game. We don't work on playing practically a whole game with 10 against 11. It is not feasible. We managed to get back on level terms so that makes it even harder. We didn't give up and we found solutions. We had a point in our hands, and then we let it go. We were just lacking that something to enable us to hold on for a point. We need to learn to be competitive until the very end. If we don't take anything from a game we need to ask ourselves the right questions. If there is a wall, we need to break it down or climb over it, not stay in front of it."

Christian Gourcuff (Nantes coach): "We can't hide the fact that we played with an extra man. It was one-way traffic in the second half. Overall there were some interesting sequences from us. We are progressing in terms of our organisation and our use of the ball. We are just missing that ability to capitalise on our domination. We need to be more creative in the final third. I am quite optimistic about our capacity to improve our game and be more clinical, which is vital. We worked hard I was delighted with what I saw."

 Angers SCO 3-0 FC Metz 

Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "We did what Angers do. The idea was to react and reaffirm our values and our strengths. The team and the squad as a whole stood up. You never know what is going to happen after a 6-0 defeat, but we did everything we needed to do to improve and get back to what we had been doing before. Our start to the match was almost perfect. The attitude, the desire, these things are above all mental and the players stood up brilliantly. We stuck to our plan. Credit to the players and to the staff for making such a performance possible."

Vincent Hognon (Metz coach): "It was a deserved defeat. I said to the players it would be difficult, but we made their task so much easier. It doesn't help when you make such a mess of your start to the game. It was exactly what we didn't want, because they are fearsome on the counter-attack. There are no surprises. We didn't get carried away after last week and we are not now the worst team after tonight. This just shows that the season will be long and that we need to keep working hard."

 Stade Brestois 29 1-0 Stade de Reims 

Olivier Dall'Oglio (Brest coach): "We forgot to play football in the first half. We lacked rhythm, especially in terms of keeping hold of the ball. We were too slow in terms of how we moved the ball around. We did a lot of defending. The second half was different. We need to be more daring, without taking huge risks either, but we need to play a bit more football to upset the opposition. That is what happened. That is how we managed to create chances, even if it was still a very tight game. It was good to score late on. That will be a relief for the boys. It is matches like these that will reassure us and help us. This can serve as a trigger."

David Guion (Reims coach): "Overall I thought we controlled the game. I thought we were more enterprising than Brest, who sought to play on the counter-attack. They raised their game in the second half. The most disappointing aspect is that we were not able to score when we were on top, and also conceding a goal three minutes from the end away from home. It is always very painful. If we were not able to win, we needed to at least make sure we left with a point."

 Dijon FCO 0-2 Girondins de Bordeaux 

Stéphane Jobard (Dijon coach): "This defeat leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. We handed the match to Bordeaux because we started badly in both halves. The two goals we conceded came from set-pieces, including one for us. In the first two matches we managed to create chances but tonight we never really threatened. You need talent to score goals in Ligue 1 and we lacked that. We need a creative player and we are looking at several profiles of player before the transfer window closes."

Paulo Sousa (Bordeaux coach): "I thought it was a clear victory. We hardly allowed them any opportunities. We controlled the game and scored early. We were also solid at the back. Everyone worked hard. It is our first victory of the season and it is important for our confidence before the next match against Lyon."

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

 OGC Nice 1 - 2 Olympique de Marseille 

Patrick Vieira (OGC Nice): "They were well organised and it was more complicated for us. Our difficulty was on the emotional level, really. We were always focused on the work we had to do. The players were really excellent in that respect. We showed our shortcomings and areas for improvement. I hope more players will arrive. Our goal is to strengthen the squad to try to develop our attacking play. We want to analyse this defeat and see how we can improve. We have to recover for the next match, in Rennes (Sunday, 15:00 CET). A list of players has been communicated to the former and new management teams. Now I look forward to seeing which recruits arrive by the end of the week."

André Villas-Boas (Olympique de Marseille coach): "We managed to score. We attacked well and defended well, too. It has been a long and difficult week for us. I am happy because the lads deserved this win. We did a good job on the tactical level. It'll give everyone confidence. We changed tactically and switched to 4-2-3-1 to control their midfield. [Newly signed Argentine striker Dario] Benedetto did some good things. He will work with us during the international break. We didn't get off to a great start this season, but we did get a win in Nice after ten days of rest. We now have to focus on Saint-Étienne, which will be an intense match (Sunday at 21:00 CET). If we finish with seven points before the break, that would be nice."

 LOSC Lille 3 - 0 AS Saint-Étienne 

Christophe Galtier (LOSC coach): "Our start was very average but, as time went on, the team managed to put impose its game. The fact that we created a lot of danger - and converted our chances - is the result of hard work done by the players throughout the week. But our start was slow, the team lacked pep. Saint-Étienne are playing in European and against a direct opponent like that, you have to raise your level of play and put a lot more into the game. We that up with a win. [About Victor Osimhen] He can still get a lot better; he's only 20 years old. I had decided not to start him because we're going to play a series of matches and he's going to play twice with his national team during the break. He wasn't upset about not starting; he just came on and did his job, proving to be a decisive figure in the match, and not just because of his goals."

Ghislain Printant (Saint-Etienne coach): "We lost deservedly to opponents who were superior to us even if, in the first period, in terms of content and organisation, we were in the process of achieving what we wanted. In the recovery of the ball, the team was in place, but we weren't sharp enough offensively; we lacked quality with the final pass or two. We were unable to put Lille in danger and, quite logically, we were attacked and conceded this heavy defeat, which hurts. We came with other intentions but, unfortunately, we didn't succeed because of Lille's quality display." 

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

 Montpellier Hérault SC 1-0 Olympique Lyonnais 

Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "We fully deserved our win even if Lyon had three chances. We attacked well, and defended well as a team. We did everything to bring them central and avoid opening up the flanks. We lacked a little precision to punish them a bit more and have a calmer end to the game. We did everything better than in our first two matches."

Sylvinho (Lyon coach): "We knew it would be tough to play at Montpellier, who are very physical. The two forwards battled a lot, caused us problems. We struggled with their shots from distance, despite having prepared for Montpellier's strategy. Even though we battled to the end, we didn't manage to get what we were looking for. We gave our opponents too many opportunities, and made the end of the game too tough. When you're chasing the game, it makes it more difficult to counter long balls. We were getting a little desperate in the closing stages."

Sunday, August 25, 2019

 Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Toulouse FC 

Thomas Tuchel (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "It was a deserved win. The right result after a good match. We attacked a lot and we attacked well. We also won a lot of ball in the opposition half. It was a good mix. Choupo-Moting? It was good. He never lost confidence. Since the start of the season, he has given it everything. For an attacker, it's important to score goals. He deserves it."

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Paris Saint-Germain forward): "First of all, it was a win, even if scoring twice was nice. Everything happened very quickly. Edinson Cavani got injured and I had to come on, without warming up. We played well, controlled the match. I'm very happy to have scored."

Alain Casanova (Toulouse FC coach): "For 50 minutes we managed to make them doubt themselves; our game plan was quite promising. But then, it was a much more difficult second half. When you concede the first goal after five minutes, it becomes difficult. Then you concede a second one, and then the team has the impression that it will be impossible to get back into the match. The scoreline is harsh given the first 50 minutes we played but this is the highest level, and that's what it's like. I'm frustrated and disappointed for my players, but at the same time there were positives to take from this match."

 AS Monaco 2-2 Nîmes Olympique 

Leonardo Jardim (Monaco coach): "This isn't a good point because Monaco are playing to win. I'm not afraid to lose late in a game but it's a new feeling for me. I'm sad for the players. We must respect the club and everyone who works here. We could have been 3-0 ahead through Gelson [Martins] but everything changed with [Jemerson's] red card [on 55 minutes]. We didn't finish with ten fit players, but eight. Many have arrived who haven't done pre-season. Adrien [Silva] arrived on Saturday, [Islam] Slimani and [Wissam] Ben Yedder were late. It's a risk we took as a club. It was part of our strategy."

Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "I'm not sure if it's a point won or two lost. I think we'll say it' s a good point, good for the lads. We know we'll be ready for the fight later so we don't want to slip too far down the table now. We could also have won if we'd been more efficient in the first half. Being 2-0 down was hard but I'm not worried about my players' attitude. We need to train together, though. We're behind in our preparation, like Monaco. We have a lot of work to do in defence and attack."

 RC Strasbourg Alsace 0-2 Stade Rennais FC 

Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "They took their chances well but we had a good match. We lacked cutting edge but we dominated for a lot of it. It was decided on the little details. There were a lot of time when we could have scored. It's difficult to keep the same team together in this heat. I don't regret anything. We lost this match but we could've won it. Tonight was a question of efficiency. This game will still hold up well under analysis."

Julien Stéphan (Rennes coach): "We were pragmatic, solid, efficient and a little lucky at times. All of these things combined to lift us to our third consecutive win. It's good for the dressing room atmosphere. Strasbourg's direct game gave us trouble at times but we finished well and got our foot on the ball. We still have a lot of progress to make but we're moving forward. There's no such thing as perfection but we've had a very, very good start to the season. We're top, but that's anecdotal. We have momentum, let's keep it up."

Saturday, August 24, 2019

 Amiens SC 1-2 FC Nantes 

Luka Elsner (Amiens coach): "The red card changed the game. We don't work on playing practically a whole game with 10 against 11. It is not feasible. We managed to get back on level terms so that makes it even harder. We didn't give up and we found solutions. We had a point in our hands, and then we let it go. We were just lacking that something to enable us to hold on for a point. We need to learn to be competitive until the very end. If we don't take anything from a game we need to ask ourselves the right questions. If there is a wall, we need to break it down or climb over it, not stay in front of it."

Christian Gourcuff (Nantes coach): "We can't hide the fact that we played with an extra man. It was one-way traffic in the second half. Overall there were some interesting sequences from us. We are progressing in terms of our organisation and our use of the ball. We are just missing that ability to capitalise on our domination. We need to be more creative in the final third. I am quite optimistic about our capacity to improve our game and be more clinical, which is vital. We worked hard I was delighted with what I saw."

 Angers SCO 3-0 FC Metz 

Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "We did what Angers do. The idea was to react and reaffirm our values and our strengths. The team and the squad as a whole stood up. You never know what is going to happen after a 6-0 defeat, but we did everything we needed to do to improve and get back to what we had been doing before. Our start to the match was almost perfect. The attitude, the desire, these things are above all mental and the players stood up brilliantly. We stuck to our plan. Credit to the players and to the staff for making such a performance possible."

Vincent Hognon (Metz coach): "It was a deserved defeat. I said to the players it would be difficult, but we made their task so much easier. It doesn't help when you make such a mess of your start to the game. It was exactly what we didn't want, because they are fearsome on the counter-attack. There are no surprises. We didn't get carried away after last week and we are not now the worst team after tonight. This just shows that the season will be long and that we need to keep working hard."

 Stade Brestois 29 1-0 Stade de Reims 

Olivier Dall'Oglio (Brest coach): "We forgot to play football in the first half. We lacked rhythm, especially in terms of keeping hold of the ball. We were too slow in terms of how we moved the ball around. We did a lot of defending. The second half was different. We need to be more daring, without taking huge risks either, but we need to play a bit more football to upset the opposition. That is what happened. That is how we managed to create chances, even if it was still a very tight game. It was good to score late on. That will be a relief for the boys. It is matches like these that will reassure us and help us. This can serve as a trigger."

David Guion (Reims coach): "Overall I thought we controlled the game. I thought we were more enterprising than Brest, who sought to play on the counter-attack. They raised their game in the second half. The most disappointing aspect is that we were not able to score when we were on top, and also conceding a goal three minutes from the end away from home. It is always very painful. If we were not able to win, we needed to at least make sure we left with a point."

 Dijon FCO 0-2 Girondins de Bordeaux 

Stéphane Jobard (Dijon coach): "This defeat leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. We handed the match to Bordeaux because we started badly in both halves. The two goals we conceded came from set-pieces, including one for us. In the first two matches we managed to create chances but tonight we never really threatened. You need talent to score goals in Ligue 1 and we lacked that. We need a creative player and we are looking at several profiles of player before the transfer window closes."

Paulo Sousa (Bordeaux coach): "I thought it was a clear victory. We hardly allowed them any opportunities. We controlled the game and scored early. We were also solid at the back. Everyone worked hard. It is our first victory of the season and it is important for our confidence before the next match against Lyon."