Ligue 1 match report: Lens beat Toulouse to boost survival hopes

Lens gave their Ligue 1 survival hopes a much needed shot in the arm as they ended a nine-game winless run by beating fellow strugglers Toulouse at Stade de la Licorne.

Antoine Kombouare's men had lost their preceding four matches in the league, while their recent run had encompassed six defeats.

So it will be of some relief to the northern club that they claimed a battling 1-0 victory on Saturday night, with Pablo Chavarria's 76th-minute goal the difference between the two teams.

It was a win that moved them seven points adrift of safety and only four behind 18th-placed Toulouse, who have now lost three of their last four.

The home side nearly went ahead in the opening minute, with Toulouse goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher forced to keep out Jerome Lemoigne's flick on from Wylan Cyprien's corner.

At the other end Wissam Ben Yedder headed wide, while Adrien Regattin's low strike was saved by Rudy Riou after Lens had failed to clear their lines.

But Boucher had to make a superb reflex save from Pierrick Valdivia's volley at the far post from Cyprien's corner as Lens continued to threaten at set pieces.

Toulouse ended the half strongly as Oscar Trejo jinked his way into space before shooting narrowly over the bar from just outside the area.

Yoann Touzghar headed ove,r while Madagascan midfielder Lalaina Nomenjanahary's strike also missed the target as Lens begin to flex their muscles in the second half.

And they took advantage of Toulouse's frailties at corners to take the lead with just 14 minutes remaining.

Nomenjanahary's set-piece was only partially cleared to Ludovic Baal, who sent the ball in again for Chavarria to swoop in and fire a close-range strike past Boucher.

Toulouse almost levelled matters immediately afterwards, but Riou made an important block off Ben Yedder and that was as close as the visitors came, with Lens holding on for just their sixth win of the campaign.

Olympique Marseille continues its winning run, beats Toulouse 2-0

Gignac nets again as Marseille beats Toulouse 2-0

PARIS (AP) — Striker Andre-Pierre Gignac scored his 10th league goal in as many games as league leader Marseille beat Toulouse 2-0 on Sunday to secure an eighth straight win and stay seven points ahead of bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux.

Gignac, who struggled with weight problems when he joined Marseille four years ago, is thriving under new coach Marcelo Bielsa's strict, disciplinarian approach.After center half Nicolas Nkoulou put Marseille ahead in the 21st minute with an effort that appeared to come off the top of his shoulder, Gignac made it 11 in 11 for club and country when he finished off a fine one-touch passing move in the 36th.

"We worked ferociously hard for four days during the week and the efforts paid off," said Gignac, who says he is five kilograms lighter than he was last season, when Marseille was regularly jeered by its home fans and finished in sixth place — a massive 29 points behind champion PSG.

"Everyone knows that last year we suffered and so we're savoring things this season," Gignac said. "Everything's in place for us to have a good season, we're sticking together, the team's playing well. But we musn't get carried away."

Bordeaux missed the chance to leapfrog PSG and move into outright second place when it drew 1-1 at home to lowly Caen.

Marseille has 25 points after 10 rounds, with PSG leading Bordeaux on goal difference.Mali forward Cheick Diabate put Bordeaux ahead from the penalty spot midway through the first half, but striker Herve Bazile equalized in the 77th.

Meanwhile, midfielder Yoann Gourcuff scored twice as Lyon beat Montpellier 5-1 to make it six games unbeaten and climb up to fourth place, one point behind PSG and Bordeaux.

Midfielders Nabil Fekir and Steed Malbranque and striker Alexandre Lacazette also scored, while defender Siaka Tiene pulled a goal back for mid-table Montpellier.

The Argentine coach Bielsa has transformed Marseille, which equaled its record for successive wins in front of a club record 62,000 home fans at Stade Velodrome.

The only tricky moment for Bielsa came when, as he went to sit down on a drinks cooler near the touchline, he inadvertently sat on a small cup of coffee that one of his assistants had placed there seconds earlier."Equaling this record makes me very proud," Bielsa said. "We were excellent in the first half and the second half was more even. I'm very happy with the job we did and most of the team played at a very high level.

"I couldn't even drink it, which is a pity," Bielsa joked after the game.

Marseille, however, was indebted to goalkeeper Steve Mandanda early on, after he made a superb reflex save to tip forward Denis Braithwaite's shot onto the crossbar.

Nkoulou settled the nerves when he turned in a free kick from Dimitri Payet who, like Gignac, returned to the France team last week for a match away at Armenia in which Gignac scored one and set up two in a 3-0 win.

"Marseille deserved to win," Toulouse coach Alain Casanova said. "Unfortunately we couldn't take our chances."After a flowing Marseille move, Gignac timed his run well to turn a cross from Benjamin Mendy past goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher.

Marseille will try and set a new club record for consecutive wins when it travels to play Lyon next Sunday.

"Lyon is very good at home," Gignac said. "But I'm sure the coach will put a plan into place."

PSG beat Lens 3-1 on Friday.

Toulouse dealt Rennes its second straight loss 3-0

Stade Rennes 0-3 Toulouse: On Target Visitors Brush Aside Rennes

It was the away side Toulouse that ran away with all three points as they looked good their 3-0 win over struggling Stade Rennes.

The hosts started the game as the better of the two as Paul-Georges Ntep had his shot well saved down low by the keeper. The visitors started to find their feet in the match when Dragos Grigore helped the ball on with his head into the path of Adrien Regattin, who had a go, but the keeper managed to keep the game level with a good stop.

Despite this, the home side continued to look bright in the early stages as Paul-Georges Ntep produced a fine cross towards Fallou Diagne, who thrush his head and it and forced a goo save from the man in between the sticks.

After a good spell of play from Rennes, the visitors found their breakthrough three minutes before the break. The ball was cut back to Aleksandar Pesic, and his finish was clinical as he found the bottom left corner of the goal to ensure that Toulouse entered the halfway stage with the advantage.

Toulouse came close to their second twelve minutes into the second half when Tongo Doumbia saw his header hit the upright. Their lead was two though as the ball took a defletion on its’ way to goal off Fallou Diagneto gift the visitors a healthy two goal advantage. It could have been three moments later when Paul-Georges Ntep watched his header just evade the post.

The away side did make it three just a minute later when Wissam Ben Yedder showed composure to finish off a good Toulouse move, and in the process wrapped up the game, making sure that Rennes would not take anything from the game.

The hosts tried to force their way back into the game, but had no luck in the closing stages as Toulouse kept hold of their three goal advantage to emerge as deserved 3-0 winners.

Bastia earn its first Ligue 1 win over Toulouse

Sports Mole UK Football 

By Christopher Dodd, Reporter

Filed: Saturday, August 23, 2014 at 20:56 UK

Last Updated: Sunday, August 24, 2014 at 18:54 UK

Bastia have earned their first win of the Ligue 1 season after Ryad Boudebouz's first-half penalty saw them to a slender 1-0 victory over Toulousethis evening.

Toulouse were the first to threaten as Wissam Ben Yedder saw his shot fly past the post, before Bastia's Floyd Ayite had an attempt heading for the bottom corner saved by Alphonse Areola.

The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 23rd minute when Francois Moubandje handled in the box, allowing Boudebouz to convert from the spot.

Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro provided a perfect cross for Martin Braithwaite, but the Toulouse striker failed to capitalise as he headed over the crossbar.

Ben Yedder did all in his power to try and prevent the hosts from taking all of the points as he crossed for Aleksandar Pesic, who tamely dragged wide to allow Bastia to claim a hard-fought victory.

Toulouse upsets Olympique Lyonnais 2-1

Bin Yedder celebrates his goal

Sky Sports

Toulouse recovered from their opening-day defeat to Nice by seeing off Lyon 2-1 on Saturday night.  Alain Casanova's men were shaded in a five-goal thriller a week ago but got their season up and running after taking a 2-0 interval lead.

Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro opened the scoring 10 minutes in and then Wissam Ben Yedder doubled their advantage as the break approached.   That gave them the cushion they needed and they survived Alexandre Lacazette pulling one back in the second half.

It was a result Toulouse deserved having taken a hold of the game early on.  Three minutes had passed when they had their first chance, with Samuel Umtiti and Bakary Kone getting mixed up in a defence and letting Daniel Braithwaite in. He failed to make the most of his one-on-one opportunity, though, being denied by Anthony Lopes. 

It was a temporary hold up for Toulouse who went back up the field and scored 10 minutes in, with Akpa Akpro playing a one-two with Braithwaite before scoring.

Ben Yedder should have made it two inside 60 seconds, but inexplicably screwed wide with an open goal in front of him.  They continued to pour forward and, after Braithwaite was shut down by Lindsay Rose and Lopes, Ben Yedder made it two, spotting the keeper off his line and bending in a clever free-kick.

Lyon woke up after the break and briefly threatened when Gael Danic's cross was volleyed wide by Christophe Jallet.  Toulouse returned to the front foot after that and Akpa Akpro had a 55th-minute header ruled out for offside.   The visitors did pull one back with 15 minutes left - Lacazette making no mistake after some smart build-up play from Fares Bahlouli, Jordan Ferri and Mohamed Yattara - but it was not enough.

Ibrahimovic hat trick secures Paris Saint Germain win over Toulouse 4-1

Ibrahimovic mobbed by teammates after scoring a header

The Daily Mail UK 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted a hat-trick as his sensational form this season continues. The big Swede was almost left with egg on his face, however. His chipped last-minute 'panenka' penalty - for what would have been his third goal - was saved, but the striker reacted quickest to poke home the rebound and make it 37 goals this term. The win means PSG maintain a five-point lead ahead of Monaco at the top of Ligue 1.

PSG took the lead in the 33rd minute when Serbian defender Uros Spajic brought down Lavezzi, and Ibrahimovic drilled his spot kick down the middle. They should have scored again in the 43rd when Ibrahimovic crossed from the left and center back Thiago Silva failed to hit the target as he lunged in at the far post.  A minute later, Toulouse punished PSG for that miss when Wassim Ben Yedder volleyed in a cross from midfielder Etienne Didot. But PSG regained the lead in the 56th when Ibrahimovic again crossed from the left, midfielder Blaise Matuidi let the ball run and Lavezzi finished with a first-time shot.

Ibrahimovic then seemed to have put the result beyond doubt, heading in substitute Yohan Cabaye's free-kick after the impressive Lavezzi had been fouled, but sloppy play let Toulouse back into the game three minutes later.  After PSG midfielder Thiago Motta went to challenge forward Martin Braithwate, the ball bounced into the penalty area and Ben Yedder beat goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu with a calm finish. Ibrahimovic then got lucky with his spot kick in the final minute.

He now has 22 league goals this season and is closing in on his career-best mark of 30, which he set last season. Monaco had cut the deficit on the league-leaders with a 3-2 win over Stade Reims on Friday.