Bordeaux coach Eric Bédouet conceded that Amiens had stepped up their game to clinch a deserved 1-1 draw at the MATMUT Atlantique on Sunday; Amiens' Mathieu Bodmer hailed the tough defending that set up the result.
Saturday, 22 December, 2018
Girondins de Bordeaux 1-1 Amiens SC
Eric Bedouet (Girondins de Bordeaux coach): "The draw is not an undeserved result for Amiens. They played well and got the job done, while we showed that fatigue has gotten to us. These matches are important because, even if you're not completely on top of your game, you should be able to win them. I thought we would get the result in such a manner, but Amiens put us under the pump. We tried to sit back and contain them in the second half and hit them on the counter, but it didn't work out and we conceded a goal."
Mathieu Bodmer (Amiens SC midfielder): "It was important to collect some points. Bordeaux are tough opponents who are very solid up front. What's great is that we rediscovered our defensive rigour, and in the end, we were rewarded. We changed our formation in the second half in order to close them down more and put them under pressure. We had two big chances and Eddy [Gnahoré] scored a superb goal. We're very happy for him."
Angers SCO 1-1 Olympique de Marseille
Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "It's a mix of satisfaction and regret. It was our best first half since we returned to Ligue 1, but unfortunately we didn't turn that into goals. I'm not going to look for excuses tonight, but you could see we were short on energy as the game wore on. We played really well, though, and if one team should have won it was us."
Rudi Garcia (Marseille coach): "Each team had a half each. We were deservedly trailing at the break. That's now two games where we've played one good half. It's cost us points. We need to build up our trust in each other. We have to get back on track after the winter break. We need to be ready."
LOSC 1-2 Toulouse FC
Christophe Galtier (LOSC coach): "We were simply not good enough. We didn't start well and Toulouse pressed us hard. We were nervous and didn't look sharp. It's a big disappointment for the players, who have made the first half of the season very interesting."
Alain Casanova (Toulouse coach): "This is a nice present for the fans and a win for the group. The players were keen to put on a good performance. We were coherent and organised and we deserve the three points. The season so far doesn't yet correspond to the potential this team has. We'll come back after the break with a better mindset."
AS Monaco 0-2 EA Guingamp
Thierry Henry (Monaco coach): "We wanted to try and get out of the relegation zone before the break, but that's not what happened. We've been below par for the last three games, so it's not awful to have a break, either. I won't have a good holiday - I've got work to do. I'm not in the players' heads. We managed to win at Caen and Amiens. This has happened to me in my life before. You have to keep working and working."
Jocelyn Gourvennec (Guingamp): "It's difficult to imagine a better outcome. We were completely composed. We corrected things at half-time, put two up front to unsettle their centre-backs, and Marcus Thuram had some great sprints. He can dribble well and change direction at top speed."
Montpellier Hérault SC 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais
Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "It was tough for us to get into the game but then we had three clear chances once we settled down. We should have made the game safe with these. We had to dig deep to get back in the game after OL scored. It's great that we snatched a point late on. If we have 30 points we deserve to be where we are. We want to stay up there."
Bruno Génésio (Lyon coach): "On balance, it's a fair result. We played two completely different halves. In the first half we were on holiday and were lucky not to be behind at half-time. But we rolled our sleeves up and could have won, if not for a wonderful goal from Bruno Aguilar."
Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 FC Nantes
Thomas Tuchel (PSG coach): "I don't think we were tired; we had 70 percent possession, 23 shots, it was amazing. We played with a lot of quality. We could have won by four goals. We controlled the match and deserved to win. Our results have been almost perfect so far this season. I'm very happy. The team is progressing and you can feel their energy. Everyone's been open to new ideas, which is nice."
Vahid Halilhodzic (Nantes coach): "We played well, but Paris Saint-Germain, at the moment, are the best team in the world. Unfortunately, we couldn't take the few chances we had. We need a bit of luck against PSG and you have to be ruthless in front of goal."
Stade de Reims 2-2 SM Caen
David Guion (Reims coach): "My players did all they could to win. We created a lot of chances but there was always a foot or a defender in the way. I'm pleased with how we played."
Fabien Mercadal (Caen coach): "I regret that we couldn't hold onto the victory. We've stopped a rut, though. We had a lot going against us in the build-up, like Alexander Djiku being injured. The boys remained strong despite our injuries. We're sometimes criticised for not scoring enough but we've scored six in ten days."
Stade Rennais FC 4-0 Nîmes Olympique
Julien Stéphan (Rennes coach): "We've got good momentum. It was a well-earned win. I'm grateful to my players for their hard work and team spirit. They never give up a fight. They're entitled to their ten-day break. Then. We'll have to keep our positive momentum in the new year."
Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "We went missing, for sure. But I said before the game that Rennes have some really talented players. When they're confident, they can lead 2-0 after 12 minutes, but we had hope. At 3-0 our heads went down."
AS Saint-Etienne 3-0 Dijon FCO
Jean-Louis Gasset (Saint-Etienne coach): "It was a hard-fought win. We had three or four chances to win by more. We had to be careful; it was only 1-0 at half-time. We were missing several major players like Mathieu Debuchy and Neven Subotic. We'll need them to recover and might have to use the transfer window."
Olivier Dall'Oglio (Dijon coach): "It was a difficult night against a Saint-Etienne team who are better than us. I regret that we didn't open the scoring with our only chance. That would have been good for us, for our trust in each other. But I don't dispute Saint-Etienne's superiority. I'm looking forward to the break. Our transfer policy has been focused on young players with potential, but we're running out of time. We need to sign effective players immediately."
RC Strasbourg Alsace 2-0 OGC Nice
Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "We deserved to win. We were efficient and gave Nice no chances. The penalty save from Matz Sels was crucial. It calmed us down and we defended well thereon."
Patrick Vieira (Nice coach): "In terms of determination and commitment it's hard to blame the players. It's a young group and they're still inexperienced. If the penalty had gone in it might have changed the shape of the game. We weren't great going forward; defensively we were solid enough."
