By S. Willis
Edinson Cavani showcased his quality as a Neymar- and Mbappé-less PSG continued their perfect start to the season while Lyon climbed to second on the back of their win over ASSE and OM’s Florian Thauvin cut loose.
Although speculation over the fitness of injured superstars Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappé – especially in connection with Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League crunch clash with Liverpool – has dominated of late, Paris Saint-Germain had a job to do at home to Toulouse on Saturday and it was the third element of the ‘MCN’ – Edinson Cavani – who took care of business with a superb strike early in the piece.
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Tuchel: ‘We like these challanges’
“It is a bit of a difficult moment, the first match after an international break and the one before a big, decisive match in the Champions League. We felt it,” admitted coach Thomas Tuchel, whose side were rescued by the Uruguayan’s stunner – his fourth in two matches and ninth in nine this season. “It will be a completely different match against Liverpool. It is a decisive match, with lots of pressure. We like these challenges.”
More will be known on whether Neymar and Mbappé’s fitness after training on Monday, but Tuchel has said he is “optimistic” that the world’s two most expensive players will be able to play a role in what is really a make-or-break clash against the EPL giants.
Denayer decdes derby as City clash looms
Meanwhile Lyon head into Tuesday’s decisive UEFA Champions League home clash with clash Manchester City Tuesday buoyed by a 1-0 Rhône derby win over Saint-Etienne. Belgium stopper Jason Denayer decided the hard-fought encounter with a powerful header that Bruno Genesio’s men from fourth to second, albeit a full 15 points shy of the league leaders.
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“They outsmarted us in the first half. But we addressed that at half-time and you could see that in the second half. The idea was to bring more speed and energy into the game. Anthony Lopes kept us in the game. He made two brilliant saves,” said Genesio, who will doubtless once again be counting on the Portugal ‘keeper as his side look to clinch a last-16 berth at home to Pep Guardiola’s side. “Saint-Etienne weren’t an easy opponent. The important thing is that we now have 27 points after 14 games.”
Thauvin lives up to Garcia hype
Marseille endured a tough late October/early November with a run of four defeats in all competitions – which occasioned elimination form the UEFA Europa League – but the southern giants made it back-to-back league wins on Sunday night as World Cup-winner Florian Thauvin showed off his skills with a mesmerising hat-trick to hand Amiens a 3-1 home defeat.
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“Amiens will remain a wonderful memory for me. I scored three great goals. I’ve had a great start to the season. I heard the coach say that I’m the team’s dangerous striker – he put extra pressure on me [laughs],” joked the 25-year-old, who moved into third on the scoring charts with ten strikes. “I started off in attack and then moved out onto the wing, and you saw the difference it made. I’m much more at ease out wide, that’s my true position.”
Hot streaks cool for Montpellier, LOSC
The win took OM fifth, just a point behind third-placed Montpellier, whose roll was slowed as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Rennes, who are still in with a chance of a place in the UEFA Europa League’s last 16 if they can get a win over FK Jablonec 97 on Thursday.
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Locked on 26 points with Montpellier are fourth-placed LOSC, whose devastating early-season form has tapered off of late, with Sunday’s 2-0 defeat in Nice stretched their winless run to four matches in all competitions. This is in stark contrast to Patrick Vieira’s Aiglons, who have climbed from 14th to seventh – and place in the Coupe de la Ligue’s last 16 – on the back of a five-match win streak.
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First win for Henry
Meanwhile Vieira’s France 98 teammate Thierry Henry celebrated his first victory at the helm of AS Monaco after captain Radamel Falcao curled in a sweet free-kick to see off SM Caen 1-0 at the Stade Michel d’Ornano. The welcome win ended a 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions for the 2016-17 Ligue 1 Conforama champions, form that has seen them ousted from the UEFA Champions League, making Wednesday’s trip to Atlético Madrid a dead rubber.
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VAR-y frustrated
Bordeaux face a must-win situation as they play host to Slavia Prague in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, and Eric Bédouet’s men were certainly hoping for better than the 0-0 away to Dijon – which featured two goals disallowed by VAR – to prepare.
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Nantes’ resurgence under new boss Vahid Halilhodzic has shown signs of stuttering, but thankfully Ghanaian striker Majeed Waris was on hand to rescue a point in the 1-1 western derby with Angers by scoring his first goal for Les Canaris since signing on loan from Porto in the summer.
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Stade de Reims climbed to eighth on the back of a third win in four as they bested bottom club Guingamp 2-1 in what was a disappointing first match for returning EAG coach Jocelyn Gourvennec, who replaced Antoine Kombouaré just before the international break.
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RC Strasbourg Alsace remain in the top half of the table (ninth) despite going a man down as they fell 1-0 at home to Nîmes Olympique, from whom veteran Ivorian defender Hervé Lybohy nodded home a free header for the only goal of the game.
>> VIDEO: Official match highlights of all the Week 14 action
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