Ligue 1: Lille hope to end PSG's dominance despite goalless draw

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Saint-Etienne's defender Gabriel Silva (left) fights for the ball with Lille defender Zeki Celik. (AFP)
Saint-Etienne's defender Gabriel Silva (left) fights for the ball with Lille defender Zeki Celik. (AFP)

Paris - We have a final in Angers that we will have to win if we want to be champions, Galtier said

By AFP

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Published: Mon 17 May 2021, 9:37 PM

Last updated: Mon 17 May 2021, 9:51 PM

Lille’s bid to win the Ligue 1 title will go to the final weekend of the season after Sunday’s goalless draw with Saint-Etienne allowed Paris Saint-Germain to move to within a point of the leaders.

Reigning champions PSG strolled to a simple 4-0 win over 10-man Reims to pile the pressure on Lille, who will nonetheless claim the French title for the first time since 2011 if they win at mid-table Angers next Sunday.


Christophe Galtier’s Lille hit the post in the final seconds of a frustrating match with little in the way of goalmouth incident.

It was not the display the fans who had gathered to follow the team bus to the Stade Pierre Mauroy ahead of the match expected and will leave those supporters with frayed finger nails next weekend.


“Our start was very sluggish. It was a little better afterwards, but we could not expect much success tonight because we played a very average game,” said Galtier.

“We are still ahead. We have a final in Angers that we will have to win if we want to be champions.”

PSG meanwhile were gifted a perfect start at the Parc des Princes when Yunis Abdelhamid handled Kylian Mbappe’s shot in front of an empty goal, conceding a penalty and being sent off in the process.

Neymar slotted home the spot-kick in the 13th minute and 11 minutes later Mbappe pounced on a wayward pass across the area by Thomas Foket to tap home the second.

Marquinhos made it three in the 68th minute with a thumping header from Neymar’s corner. Moise Kean rounded off an easy win for PSG one minute from the end.

Monaco are also still in with a potential shout for the title after their 2-1 home win over Rennes moved Niko Kovac’s third-placed side three points behind Lille with one to play.

However the Principality club have a significantly inferior goal difference to both Lille and PSG and would therefore need to win at Lens on the final day and hope both their rivals lose their fixtures.

They hold the final Champions League spot but are looking over their shoulders at Lyon, who are a point further back in fourth following their flamboyant 5-2 win at Nimes, who were relegated following the defeat and wins for both Lorient and Nantes.


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