French Football

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^ They def need a replacement. Cris will be out for half a year.

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In another matchday of reversed expectations in Ligue 1, PSG spurned a Pauleta-given lead to lose at home, Marseille sank to Valenciennes, and ten-man Bordeaux lost to ensure that Le Mans remain at the summit of the French top division...

Marseille crashed to a 2-1 defeat at surprise package Valenciennes, l'OM's lack of ambition getting the better of them as VAFC fought back from 1-0 down.

The visitors were content to sit back for most of the first half, offering little in response to the home team's energetic play.

But Albert Emon's gameplan seemed to have worked when Ziani gave his side a 57th minute lead.

Substitute Valbuena's cross met the Algerian near the penalty spot, the diminutive midfielder's shot foxing Penneteau.

Three minutes later, though, Valenciennes were on level terms. Beye's dreadful defensive error allowed Roudet through to centre the ball to Savidan.

The 28 year old forward made no mistake from close range, scoring Valenciennes' 5th goal of the season and the first not to be netted by the injured Johan Audel.

Both sides began to sit back and size up the other, but it was Valenciennes who plucked up the courage to attack in the last ten minutes. Not long after Pujol had narrowly spurned a great chance, Savidan grabbed the winner. Belmadi set up the striker for his second, a real postage-stamp effort that gave Carrasso little chance.

Thus Marseille remain firmly bottom half material, with VAFC in great shape, having won two of three.

Bordeaux took an early lead against Le Mans in the table-topping clash later on, David Bellion taking advantage of Chamakh's great buildup play to strike home early on.

But the Girondins were in trouble seven minutes later when goalkeeper Rame saw red after pulling down the one-on-one Samassa outside the box.

Laurent Blanc's tactic was clear as Bellion trudged off to be replaced by sub 'keeper Valverde: protect the lead at all costs - a tactic that paid off as the home team went in 1-0 up at half time despite the Manceaux threat.

But the floodgates opened for the visitors with two second-half goals, seeing the MUC go top with nine points.

First, De Melo took advantage of Diawara's defensive hesitation to get on the end of Romaric's long ball and shoot home. Then, eighteen minutes from the end, substitute Grafite netted an accurate effort from inside the box to take the points back to Le Mans.

Lille took a deserved home lead through Dumont 26 minutes in to their home clash with Sochaux but went on to rue missed chances just before half time.

Dalmat took advantage of Plestan's defensive error to give Les Lionceaux an equaliser in what was essentially their first chance of a LOSC-dominated game.

Les Dogues were only just the better side in the second half and, as they began to wear out, the Peugeot side enjoyed an unlikely share of the points.

Pauleta has seldom been out of the headlines recently, but finally he was given a chance to prove himself on the pitch. He duly repaid coach Paul le Guen by netting a first half goal for Paris Saint-Germain

The Brazilian's 35th minute strike gave PSG the lead against Lorient, his 134th goal for the Parisien club coming from a sweet right-footed effort after Rothen set him up.

But despite PSG's first half domination, the capital side were to end the game still winless after a tough start to the season.

A complacent PSG Vahirua to get on the end of a pass from Saifi in the box after a good run up the left from Marin: the Polynesian forward made no mistake as he leveled with twenty minutes to go.

Two minutes later he stunned the Paris side with a second for Les Merlus. The impressive Marin linked up nicely with Hautcoeur to set up Vahirua once more, who slammed home from close range.

Finally, Saifi buried a last-minute penalty after Clement felled captain Abriel in the box. It was an ignominious end to a game that PSG really should have wrapped up early on, but full credit goes to the seaside club for their tenacity.

The same cannot be said for Auxerre. AJA have now lost three on the bounce after suffering a dreadful defeat at buoyant Strasbourg.

Jean Fernandez's side were still reeling from their bizarre defeat to Bordeaux on Saturday and were hit for a sucker punch once again as Renteira grabbed a lead.

The Colombian's pin-point header opened his team's account - and indeed his own Ligue 1 tally - midway through the first half. Racing held on after an organised showing for the rest of the opening 45, and added another halfway through the second period.

A beautiful left-footed strike saw Renteira double the Racing lead, before Gameiro got on the end of a speculative long ball in the last minute to race forward and add a third. That's Auxerre bottom with a third consecutive defeat, while Strasbourg enjoyed their first victory.

Monaco, too, finally got a win following the 2-0 defeat of Ligue 2 champions Metz.

The Monegasque side again spurned the usage of Jan Koller, only bringing him on as a last-minute sub, but it did them no harm as Modesto headed home for a half-hour lead.

Les Grenats had long since given up any hopes of victory, their early domination being stifled after a mere ten minutes. And it largely stayed that way until the end, Piquionne (pictured) netting his side's second after Cufre set him up nicely in the box.

That win saw Monaco cement their top-half status, with one win, one draw and one defeat to show for a tough start to the season.

Finally, Rennes matched that record with a close-fought 1-0 win over St. Etienne

In a tight game at the Route de Lorient, Hansson's third-minute strike did for the Greens who, despite dominating possession, could not break down a wilful red-and-black defence.

The home team lacked attacking nous as the game drew to a close and were perhaps lucky to hold on, but will take heart from the gutsy showing from the back line as they prepare to face Nice on Sunday evening.

Goal.com - France - Ligue 1 Wrap: PSG Throw It Away, Marseille Stumble, Le Mans Stay Top

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Jean-Alain Boumsong believes he will be staying put at Juventus, but has declared that he will be happy to consider an offer from Lyon.

Jean-Alain Boumsong has been linked with moves to France and Spain over the past few days, reports suggesting that Juventus would not be unhappy if a decent offer came in.

The player, however, believes that the chances are he will be staying put despite not having a place in the first team.

"I am 99 per cent sure that I will stay here," he told L'Equipe. "I am not afraid of competing for a spot in the starting line-up.

"One never stops learning. I need to do better physically and perhaps in terms of concentration.

"I have to find the right level of tactical understanding with my new teammates, but that is true of everyone at the moment."

Having said all that, he went on to suggest that he would be happy to consider an offer from Lyon, if one was made.

"I have not received any offer from Lyon or anyone else," he revealed. "However, if I were to be contacted by a club as important as them I would be ready to consider a transfer."

Goal.com - Juventus - Boumsong Ready To Consider Lyon Offer

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David Trezeguet has been recalled to the France squad despite a recent outburst against Raymond Domenech.

Trezeguet had rapped Domenech for his comments on match-fixing and Italy, in what was a rather surprising comment from a player directed at his coach.

"I read what he [Domenech] said and my God I was annoyed," Trezeguet had said. "What a disgrace.

"By talking like that, Domenech has damaged the country of France and most of all the world of football. He talks for the sake of talking."

However, he has found a place in the 34-strong squad named by Domenech for next week's friendly against Slovakia.

Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira have also been named after only just returning from respective injuries.

"The goal of this is to come together, to reset our goals and to mobilize everyone in order to qualify for the Euro 2008," Domenech said.

France face Italy and Scotland in two crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers in September.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina), Mickael Landreau (PSG), Ulrich Rame (Bordeaux), Teddy Richert (Sochaux).

Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Juventus), Francois Clerc (Lyon), Patrice Evra (Man. Utd.), William Gallas (Arsenal), Gael Givet (Marseille), Philippe Mexes (Roma), Reveillere (Lyon), Bakary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Lyon), Lilian Thuram (Barcelona), Jonathan Zebina (Juventus).

Midfielders: Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Chelsea), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Rio Mavuba (Villarreal), Samir Nasri (Marseille), Jerome Rothen (PSG), Jeremy Toulalan (Olympique Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan).

Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Bolton), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Djibril Cisse (Marseille), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Frederic Piquionne (Monaco), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), David Trezeguet (Juventus).

Goal.com - France - Trezeguet And Mexes In Domenech's Massive Squad

[jec1]

Ligue 1

Sochaux 0 - 3 Monaco
Auxerre 1 - 0 Caen
Le Mans 1 - 1 Lille
Lorient 2 - 1 Lyon
Metz 0 - 0 PSG
Etienne 0 - 0 Bordeaux
Toulouse 1 - 3 Strasbourg

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Originally Posted by jec1

Lorient 2 - 1 Lyon

Looks like neither Lyon, nor Marseille are gonna win the title this year.

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Just when they thought it was getting better, their heroes stumbled again. Winless Marseille surrendered a 2-0 lead to never-say-die Nancy, who managed two second half strikes to remain joint top. Meanwhile, Lens and Valenciennes endured a bore draw while Nice fell victim to a late Rennes equaliser...

Sunday results:
Lens 0 - 0 Valenciennes
Nice 1 - 1 Rennes
Marseille 2 - 2 Nancy

Marseille went 2-0 up against Nancy, reaping the benefits of a largely fruitful first half, but first lost concentration and then their nerve as the Lorraine men battled back to draw.

While the southern side enjoyed the best of the first half, they were made to fight for a lead going into the interval, even with the modest contribution of the returning Samir Nasri.

Mamadou Niang (pictured) made the difference, Taiwo tenaciously managing to flight in a perfect cross from the left, which the Senegalese striker made quick work of.

The home side were beginning to show their class, but Gavanon offered them a fright with some beautiful set piece action for Nancy heading into half time.

Five minutes into the second period, though, and Marseille began to rest easy as Djibril Cisse opened his account for the season.

Ziani launched a counter-attacking run down the right before slipping a sweet cross to Cisse, the number nine striking home with his first touch.

But nerves began to show when Gavanon did pull one back through a set-piece - albeit one from the spot.

Cana scythed down Hadji in the box 64 minutes in, with Benjamin Gavanon netting a well-earned goal against his old side after deceiving Carrasso.

Shaken, Marseille began to sit back - and they paid the price when the Lorraine side grabbed a deserved equaliser.

Going for broke, substitute Fortune crossed for Hadji, the Moroccan forward further endearing himself to his new club's fans.

The OM faithful, on the other hand, were apoplectic at yet another false dawn. Cisse and Zaini both came close during a goalmouth scramble five minutes from the end, though, as the Marseille side tried to regain some semblance of control.

And in the last minute of stoppage time, Marseille must have known it was a lost cause when Beye's effective cross from the left met Cana... who came agonisingly close to restoring advantage to OM.

It was not to be, though, and the phocéen faithful were left to reflect on another disappointing evening.

Still winless, they sit on three points, while Nancy move to joint top - amazingly, they not only share points (10) and a goal difference with both Lorient and Le Mans, but also a goals for (7) and against (3) tally.

Earlier, Lens laboured to a 0-0 draw at home to Valenciennes in a match that at times seemed more of a friendly than a derby.

Both sides cancelled each other out in a first half drastically short of incident, as the Sang-et-Or fans grew increasingly anxious for a goal - something they've yet to see in this campaign.

But no strike was forthcoming, not even for an on-song Valenciennes side: instead, VAFC had come to play for the point, and they got it after a streetwise performance that left Guy Roux and his men stumped.

That result sees Lens stay in the relegation zone with two 0-0 draws from three matches, while Valenciennes remain comfortably top half.

There was slightly more action at the Stade Municipal de Ray, where Nice were held 1-1 by visiting Rennes.

The Cote d'Azur side had the better of the first half, Laslandes setting up Kone for the lead after just 25 minutes.

But Rennes gradually came back into it, the rouge-et-noir bagging a late equaliser through Briand, just as it seemed that Nice had done enough to hold on.

Lloris rose to try to punch clear a Fanni corner, but Briand was there to intercept and bundle the ball home, taking a share of the spoils back to Brittany.

Rennes thus go to five points, while Nice are on four.

Goal.com - France - Ligue 1: Marseille Fall Victim To Nancy Fightback

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What's up with Marseille I wonder..
Factor: Ribéry?

3 pts in 4 matches is very, very poor.

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France beat Slovakia in a friendly today.
Thierry Henry scored the only goal of the match.

[LaVecchiaSignora]

France Coach Raymond Domenech has announced his squad for September 8’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy and Juventus’ David Trezeguet is included.

Juventus star Trezeguet netted an opening-day hat-trick against Livorno, but his place has been in doubt after a long-running feud with Domenech intensified in recent weeks.

The ex-Monaco tactician angered Trez by selecting him for France’s B side and also with controversial comments against Italian football.

Domenech alleged that the referee in an Azzurrini victory over France’s Under-21 side in 1999 had been influenced and that there were ‘agreements in place within the Italian game.

UEFA have reacted by issuing the outspoken boss with a touchline ban for the San Siro encounter, but Domenech is currently preparing an appeal.

Fiorentina’s Sebastian Frey, Philippe Mexes of Roma and Inter star Patrick Vieira also made the squad.

The squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Frey (Fiorentina), Landreau (PSG), Rame (Bordeaux)

Defenders: Abidal (Barcelona), Clerc (Lyon), Escude (Sevilla), Evra (Manchester United), Gallas (Arsenal), Mexes (Roma), Sagna (Arsenal), Thuram (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Chelsea), Makelele (Chelsea), Nasri (Marseille), Toulalan (Lyon), Vieira (Inter)

Strikers: Benzema (Lyon), Govou (Lyon), Henry (Barcelona), Malouda (Chelsea), Ribery (Bayern Munich), Trezeguet (Juventus)

ch4

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Shame he's not calling Clichy over and over again..

[BlackNess]

Coupet: Lyon Are Weaker This Season


Olympique Lyonnais have started the season in slightly difficult fashion, currently sitting four points off top spot, albeit with a game in hand. By way of explanation, injured goalkeeper Gregory Coupet has controversially claimed that this Lyon side is weaker than last year's...

Gregory Coupet has controversially claimed that Olympique Lyonnais are weaker than they were last season.

In words hardly designed to inspire confidence ahead of next week's Champions League clash at Barcelona, the French international 'keeper said, "The OL is less strong than last season. It's so obvious.

"There's less experience in the group, and we're now stuck in this phase of rebuilding."

Coupet is currently out for months with a leg injury, Remy Vercoutre taking his place in goal, and will thus watch from the sidelines as Lyon take on the blaugrana at the Nou Camp.

He feels that his team's status as underdogs could help them to a shock result.

"We have nothing to lose, because people are convinced that we'll fade into the background in this, our first away match.

"But who knows? We could perhaps be the surprise package of this first round."

French international Coupet, 34, has been at Lyon since 1997, having previously spent three seasons with Saint-Etienne. He's lifted the Ligue 1 trophy for the past six years running.

*****

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Yeah, that's true.

Btw, Lyon beat Metz away 5-1.
Benzema with a hat-trick.