From the far north to the Rhône Valley, passing through the Breton coast, Ligue 1 once again reshuffled its hierarchy this Sunday. Lyon, Lille, and Nice emerged as the day’s big winners, while Strasbourg, Rennes, and Lorient all took damaging blows.
Lille crush Metz
It’s getting harder and harder to see Metz as anything other than a yo-yo club doomed to bounce between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Bottom of the table with just two draws and seven defeats, the Grenats are on pace to rival the catastrophic records of Troyes (2015–16) and Dijon (2020–21).
Against a hungry Lille side, the difference in level was glaring — and it only took 24 minutes for Hamza Igamane to score his fourth goal of the season. From there, the LOSC machine rolled through the second half, leaving only scraps for their helpless visitors. A brutal display of superiority that leaves Metz adrift at the bottom, while Lille climbs to fifth.
OGC Nice make a statement, Angers on the rise and Auxerre sinks
Crisis deepens in Rennes. Coach Habib Beye’s seat is now red-hot after another dismal result — this time at home against Nice. Despite creating chances, Rennes squandered everything, with Al Tamari especially disappointing in front of goal. Nice, in contrast, were clinical once again: two goals before halftime from Diop and Clauss sealed the deal. Like last week against Lyon, the Aiglons showed efficiency over elegance — and it worked.
Down at the bottom, Angers earned a vital second win of the season, beating Lorient thanks to their in-form strike partnership. Prosper Peter opened the scoring before Sidiki Chérif bagged his second goal in as many matches, following his strike against Monaco last week.
Le Havre also found redemption after their heavy defeat in Marseille, winning away at Auxerre. Abdoulaye Touré netted the only goal of the game, lifting his team out of the relegation zone — and dragging Auxerre into it.
Lyon edge Strasbourg in dramatic finish
The primetime clash at Groupama Stadium lived up to its billing. Lyon hosted Strasbourg in a top-half battle that swung late in favor of the home side. Strasbourg impressed early, playing their usual fluid football and opening the scoring in the 25th minute. From a pinpoint Guéla Doué cross, Panichelli rose like Cavani to nod home a textbook header.
But Lyon struck back quickly. Ten minutes later, Tolisso released Fofana down the left, and his driven cross was turned into his own net by Doukouré. Tolisso then missed a penalty that could have changed the game — before Doukouré became the villain once more. A reckless sliding challenge from behind earned him a straight red card, leaving Strasbourg to defend a man down.
Lyon pressed relentlessly, and their persistence paid off when young Alfonso Moreira scored the winner in the dying minutes, sealing a precious victory for Les Gones.