LOSC played negatively and camped inside their own half, and that didn’t change, even after Jordan Teze’s red card on the hour mark meant that they were facing a 10-man Monaco for 30 minutes. In a post-match press conference, attended by Get French Football News, Genesio did not mince his words.
“We provided a real snoozefest for the fans tonight. We saved a point because Lucas (Chevalier) saved us again. It was massively insufficient given what we had planned to do. It’s not a side to my team that I want to see. Sometimes, there are defeats that are more encouraging than this draw,” he began.
“What was encouraging? Nothing. Nothing. We didn’t do what we planned to do. We contained this Monaco team, even if they had a big chance (through Denis Zakaria) at the end. Absentees can’t be an excuse. We have to do better, a lot, lot better. We seemed happy to play out a 0-0,” he added.
“We didn’t do what we planned to do and that is what angers me the most. In terms of winning the ball back, we did the opposite of what we had planned to do. But it was not the same match as against Saint-Étienne (where Lille lost 1-0 in September). We created chances against ASSE. We did nothing today. We were happy to be in our own half and give the ball to Monaco, and give them the means to do what they like to do,” said Genesio.
“When you know that Monaco press massively when they lose the ball, when [I ask my team] to play on the wings, quicker, switch the play but instead we play the ball in the middle with little 20cm passes, sideways passes, and we are countered on once, then twice, either I don’t speak the right language, or we’re stupid,” he concluded.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco
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AS Monaco and Lille OSC played out a goalless draw as Ligue 1 football returned on Friday night. Les Dogues couldn’t punish 10-man Monaco following Jordan Teze’s red card in the second half, as the Principality club extended their lead at the top of the table.
The rhythm was quickly set. Monaco pushed high and with intent out of possession and won the ball back high on several occasions. For large periods, Lille struggled to get out, ceding the lion’s share of the possession. However, it was clear that they were happy to hit on the break, with Edon Zhegrova the main outlet and a heavy reliance on individual moments of brilliance and neat interchanges with Angel Gomes and Jonathan David.
Les Monégasques looked dangerous without ever carving out clear-cut opportunities. Aleksandr Golovin saw two tame efforts saved comfortably, but the best chance of the half fell to Jordan Teze, who lacked composure in the box and blasted his rushed shot wide. Lille meanwhile, struggled to create anything at all, registering just three shots on target in the entire match.
Teze’s red card in the 62nd minute ought to have been a turning point. Already on a yellow, the Dutchman went flying in on Gabriel Gudmundsson, making contact with the LOSC defender’s neck with his knee. The straight red card was logical. But it didn’t significantly change the flow of the match.
At least until the last 10 matches, the Principality club continued to have much of the possession, much of the control, and even the better chances. Krépin Diatta should have done better when the ball fell to him within the box, but he blasted over, whilst Denis Zakaria’s effort in injury time was well saved by Lucas Chevalier.
Monaco’s ability to dominate and create, even at 10 man reflected poorly on a Lille side that looked happy to only take away one point from the Stade Louis II. If that was the goal then they achieved it. Les Monégasques are now three points ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, who can go back level with Monaco if they beat RC Strasbourg Alsace on Saturday.
Radoslaw Majecki – 5
Caio Henrique – 6
Thilo Kehrer – 6
Wilfried Singo – 6
Jordan Teze – 2
Sloppy in possession and guilty of squandering Monaco’s best chance in the first half with a rushed finish. His tackle on Bouaddi, another clumsy moment, could have seen red, his flying kick on Gudmundsson in the second half did.
Denis Zakaria – 5
Lamine Camara – 5
Eliesse Ben Seghir – 6
Nominated for the Golden Boy award the day before, Ben Seghir was the most lively of Monaco’s attackers, making frequent dangerous runs inside from the left. Like many of his teammates, he lacked the final ball on the night.
Aleksandr Golovin – 6
Takumi Minamino – 4
George Ilenikhena – 3
Pre-match, Hütter said that Ilenikhena’s weaknesses were with his back to goal and in hold-up play. Against a LOSC side that sat deep, those weaknesses were highlighted. He rarely had the chance to run into space, to pin a man one-on-one. His influence was therefore highly limited, before being replaced by Breel Embolo in the wake of Teze’s red card.
Lucas Chevalier – 6
Mitchel Bakker – N/A
Replaced by Gabriel Gudmundsson (5)
Alexsandro – 4
Bafodé Diakité – 5
Thomas Meunier – 6
The Belgian had a lot to handle down the right. He had the marauding Caio Henrique and Eliesse Ben Seghir to contend with, and whilst the latter did impress, the left flank was not so effective for Les Monégasques, certainly not as much as they would have hoped and expected. Meunier is a big reason why.
André Gomes – 6
Ayyoub Bouaddi – 4
Osame Sahraoui – 4
Angel Gomes – 5
Edon Zhegrova – 4
Lille relied on him to provide moments of brilliance, but they were in short supply. His touch was uncharacteristically loose. It was a missed opportunity for the Kosovan, against a left-back not renowned for his defensive strengths.
Jonathan David – 5
]]>Lille had been left with debts of around €400 million from the previous owner Gérard Lopez (who currently owns FC Girondins de Bordeaux, a team that were recently relegated from the second tier of French football to the fourth due to financial issues).
Létang’s stewardship has created a club that spends moderately and sells well, while its recent European adventures (last season’s Europa Conference League run to the quarter-finals and this season’s foray into the Champions League) have helped boost finances.
All of this has created an attractive club, which the L’Équipe writes has seen buyout interest. The French outlet reports that three parties have sent proposals to Lille to purchase the club, including an English company. However, all three have fallen short of the current valuation of the club.
]]>Ahead of Sunday’s fixture against Montpellier HSC, the former Norwich City academy product was asked about the new England manager Thomas Tuchel. “He’s done great things before and he’s a great manager,” Rowe replied. “If I get called up then I’ll be a very happy guy of course (laughs).”
Rowe further added, “I’d like to stamp my mark on the national team. When that will be I don’t know, but I’ll have to prove and earn that spot.” The winger will likely be looking towards fellow countryman Angel Gomes (24) whose performances for Lille OSC earned him a call-up to the national team under interim manager Lee Carsley.
]]>The winger was asked to explain the differences between the French league and the second tier of English football in a press conference held today. “It’s a step up from the Championship,” Rowe stated. “The Championship last season was very difficult. There was a lot of quality and it was unpredictable.”
He continued, “Here there’s more quality. There are bigger players. And I would say it’s even a bit more physical [in Ligue 1] and a bit more technical. It’s a good way to test yourself and it’s a good challenge.”
Rowe has impressed during his limited minutes for the Marseille squad. The winger has been an effective presence off the bench for his new club and even won Goal of the Month for September with his last-minute winner against arch-rivals Olympique Lyonnais.
]]>“He worked very well [over the international break] and he will start on Sunday,” the Marseille head coach stated, “I’m very happy with what he’s done. He’s humble and hard-working, and he’s a very high-level player. We’re very proud to have him with us. He’s one of the players of the calibre of Højbjerg and Greenwood.”
After missing out on the victory over Olympique Lyonnais, Rabiot made his debut off the bench for the club in the 1-0 loss to RC Strasbourg Alsace before making another substitute appearance in the 1-1 draw with Angers SCO.
It had been expected that De Zerbi would rely more heavily on the midfielder after the international break once Rabiot had more time to train with the squad as he had missed both pre-season and the start of the season due to joining the club in late September.
]]>Mbemba had been training with the reserves following a summer in which Marseille had been keen to part with the Congolese international. The club had placed him in the “loft” as they tried to encourage their defender to find a new team and free themselves of a high-earning contract that was entering its final year.
After being a key player in the Marseille squad since joining the club from FC Porto in 2022, Mbemba was unimpressed by his new situation. There was a reported argument between him and a member of the backroom staff Ali Zarrak to which the defender was sanctioned.
Mbemba received a further sanction after he failed to report to a medical examination when returning from international duty. However, the defender ahead of the game against Montpellier HSC on Sunday evening was part of the club’s training.
]]>According to a report by Le Parisien, Lucas Hernandez (28) is nearing a return to training. The former Bayern Munich defender suffered a cruciate ligament rupture during the first leg of PSG’s Champions League semi-final clash with Borussia Dortmund last season.
However, the French outlet writes that PSG believe Hernandez is ahead of his recovery programme and that he could return to training in the next few weeks. There is also optimism within the club that the left-back could play a few minutes before the end of the calendar year.
This would mean Nuno Mendes (22) would have some true competition on the left side of the back four as Lucas Beraldo’s (20) performances have yet to fully convince the club that he is at a suitable level since joining Les Parisiens last January.
]]>GFFN editor-in-chief Luke Entwistle and GFFN’s Raphaël Jucobin face off in our Ligue 1 predictions competition. It’s three points for a correct score, two points for a correct score difference, and one point for a correct result. Who will come out on top at the end of the season?
SCORES
Raphaël: 39
Luke: 51
Monaco are the in-form team in Ligue 1 and the table reflects that. They headed into the international break two points clear of second-placed PSG thanks to a 2-1 win over Rennes. The scoreline didn’t reflect the entire story; it was a very comfortable win for the Principality club, like many that came before it. However, there was a blow in that game with Folarin Balogun, in a rich vein of form, coming off with a shoulder injury. He did not join up with the USMNT during the international break and whilst nothing has been confirmed, it looks unlikely that he will play any part against Lille. It is a blow for Monaco with Balogun netting in all of his last three games. In his absence, Breel Embolo, short on confidence, or the inexperienced George Ilenikhena will have to step up.
But goals aren’t really an issue in this team, even in the absence of Balogun, who is by no means a guaranteed starter under Adi Hutter. Keeping goals out may prove a more difficult challenge. Thilo Kehrer in particular has been excellent for Monaco, as has Wilfried Singo, and there is a feeling of overreliance on individual performances at the back, rather than a perfectly balanced set-up. But should Kehrer keep performing, Monaco will be confident of extending their unbeaten run.
Lille are the unknown quantity this season in the sense that you never know what you are going to get. Looking at precedent, their return from the international break in September was dreadful as they lost to Saint-Étienne. Key figures looked off the pace on that night and they will be keen to avoid a repeat. Bruno Genesio’s inconsistent side received a boost pre-match as it was revealed that Tiago Santos’ injury was not serious. He will be fit to start in what is a big boost. Against an attack-minded full-back in the form of Caio Henrique, he could have plenty of joy bombing down the right. Monaco have won only one of the last four against LOSC but they will be slight favourites this time around.
As reported by local media, Mbappé, who travelled with former PSG teammate Nordi Mukiele, went to a restaurant called ‘Chez Jolie’ before going to a nightclub called ‘V’ later the same evening, on 10th October. It was on this night that the alleged events transpired.
The alleged rape happened in the hotel in which the Frenchman was staying. The report from Aftonbladet in Sweden did not mention Mbappé as being a subject of the police’s investigation, unlike a later report from Expressen, which stated the contrary. Confirming the enquiry, the Swedish prosecutor did not mention Mbappé’s name, however, as per RMC Sport, the player’s entourage are now “certain” that he is a suspect in the investigation.
This affair comes just months after Mbappé secured his dream move to Real Madrid. It is a move that has long since been in the works. After a difficult start to life at the Bernabeu, he has started to find his rhythm; he now has seven goals in his first 11 games.
However, Molina, in an interview with Colinterview, is now reporting that Los Blancos regret signing the France captain. “They regret bringing him in. I guarantee that. I have spoken about it on off [the record]. It hasn’t been at all what they were expecting. It was a whim of [Florentino] Perez. It was only Perez that wanted him,” said Molina.
He added, “[Perez] has always liked the big players. He also has a filial relationship with him (Mbappé) […] the club are gutted, firstly with his level (performances), which is not at all at the expected levels, in the dressing room it isn’t great, that isn’t necessarily Mbappé’s fault though. I think Real have made a big mistake. He didn’t have a pre-season, he played instantly, unlike [Jude] Bellingham. When you see how [Mbappé] is physically at 25, you can’t explain it to me. The physical drop-off that he has had at 25, I have never seen that.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
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