A fantastic round of action for the most high-profile figures in Portugal’s Ligue 1 based contingent saw José Fonte score a rare goal to send Lille top of the table in France, on the same weekend fellow defender Pedro Mendes got on the scoresheet for Montpellier.
Meanwhile, Anthony Lopes kept a clean sheet as Lyon moved into second with an impressive 1-0 away win over champions Paris Saint-Germain, while Andre Villas-Boas and Marseille are in strong contention at the top after recording their sixth straight victory in the league.
Lille’s 2-1 victory over Bordeaux on Sunday afternoon put them top of the table for what could have been just a few hours, ahead of the PSG-Lyon clash later in the evening. Lille’s win saw them go above champions PSG, with captain José Fonte proving the match-winner with a superb header on the stroke of half time.
Fonte, who celebrates his 37th birthday later this month, has been an almost ever-present again this season for Lille and his goal was his first in the league since last October. Renato Sanches missed the match with Bordeaux as he struggles to shake off injury, while midfielder Xeka and defender Tiago Djaló were both introduced as substitutes late on.
Lyon stun PSG
Lille remained top of the standings at the end of the weekend after Paris Saint-Germain fell to a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Lyon at the Parc des Princes. Lyon’s victory meant they also climbed above the Parisians into second place in Ligue 1, with only goal difference separating them from Lille in top spot and both sides leading the champions by a point.
Anthony Lopes kept goal for Lyon as usual, with the Portuguese international keeping a clean sheet for the third time in his last four outings. Lopes recently celebrated his 350th appearance for his hometown club, where he is currently the 7th-highest appearance holder in their history.
Marseille keep winning
Marseille could soon be above all aforementioned sides as Andre Villas-Boas’ team moved to within two points of leadership with two games in-hand. Marseille won for the sixth straight match on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Monaco, meaning they are in 4th place but having played two games fewer than those above them.
Villas-Boas was suspended for the match, having been issued a red card during last week’s win over Nimes, after which the former Porto boss admitted he “deserved” his sanction. Speaking after watching his side overcome Monaco, Villas-Boas praised the mentality of his players as they continue to win in Ligue 1.
“Great strength of character”
“The first half was very good,” said the Portuguese. “We controlled the ball and we gave them difficulty with the diamond. We were amazing. In the second half, everyone saw that fatigue set in. The guys were extremely tired, we got back at 4.30am from Manchester. It's a very, very important victory for us.
“I am very, very happy. With our different systems, we have an element of surprise that we did not have last year. It's harder for the opponents to prepare for their match and it's interesting for us. Emotionally, it was very hard with the end of the European adventure. So to do a performance like that, I say bravo to the team. It's an important victory against a direct opponent.
“We want to stay close to the top and we can take advantage of this weekend. We demonstrated a great strength of character.”
Mendes on target for Montpellier
Montpellier are in 5th place after beating Lens 3-2 in an entertaining clash on Saturday. Pedro Mendes, who scored in another high-scoring match against Strasbourg a few weeks ago, got the second for Montpellier in the first half. Elsewhere Rony Lopes was an unused substitute in Nice’s 1-0 home loss to Rennes.
By Sean Gillen
