Matchday 27 – PSG bombs (figuratively), Saint-Étienne bombs (literally)

By: Sam | March 5th, 2007

Fans in France aren’t big on violence. Besides PSG supporters, anyway. No, they prefer to bombard the pitch with flares and explosives in order to asphyxiate everyone in sight, including themselves. Case in point: This Saturday in le derby du Rhône pitting Lyon against Saint-Étienne in a classic battle of two of the most successful French clubs of all time.

The match started in typical fashion, that being Lyon owning. On 27 minutes, Abidal crossed into the area, and when this was cleared rather poorly, OL’s smooth Swede Kim Kallström was johnny on the spot to deftly glide past Hognon and shoot into Janot’s bottom left corner, a great strike by all means. Ten minutes later, Tiago doubled the lead with a, how you say, awesome lob after a series of lost balls that found its way to his foot. With his shot going no faster than a snail on a hot day, Janot was taked completely off guard and would definitely like to have that one back. Two minutes into the second half, Fred got a chance to put the game away on a free kick 25 yards out. Bam. The Brazilian scored another beauty, right in the top corner, a real zipper, to give him 9 in only 16 matches.

At this point, you can guess that Verts fans had had enough. Not content with wielding signs reading “Lyonnais enfants de putain” and the like, they proceeded to overwhelm the pitch with a parade of flares. With players complaining that they couldn’t breathe, the match was postponed for about half an hour. With things back to “normal”, the match proceeded. Saint-Étienne got consolation on 79 minutes when Batefimbi Gomis netted his seventh of the season to finish what Heinz had started.

Elsewhere in the hexagon, Sedan and Paris were going into a most important match, a clash at the base of the mountain (as opposed to the summit). PSG, an unhealthy seventeenth place, needed this win to boost their morale for their fight to remain among the top flight and immediately, for their UEFA Cup Round of 16 first leg against Benfica, on Thursday. Keeper Mickaël Landreau didn’t help things early on when he sorrily banked Pujol’s header into his own net after it hit the post. Sedan got away with a pretty obvious handball in the late stages of the first half, which could have benifited PSG with a penalty. The worst was still to come for the Parisians, when Landreau couldn’t quite hold on to the ball after a decent save, which Boutabout finally concluded upon on 74 minutes. Right now, with eleven games left in the season, tout va mal for Paris, who are now in the red zone. Sedan, on the other hand, are already there, and are now only four points from the Top 17.

In a match on the other side of the table, Lens came into Marseille to try and extend their second-place cushion over the pack a few points back. OM, still stinging from the draw at Lens in the last round, highlighted by Hilton’s ludicrous dive that cost them the win, were hoping (once again) to snap their winless streak and get back in the race for a Champions League or UEFA Cup spot. Wouldn’t you know it, after an hour of fruitless and boring play, Taiwo went and bodychecked Dindane right proper inside his penalty area. The same man converted, and Lens conserved their advantage without either team showing a sign of life until the final whistle. Lens now has a six-point lead over third-place Lille. Marseille is a lowly eigth, going into a sort of important game at Lyon.

Lille, on Saturday, on a quest to get a grip on third place, had the pleasure to welcome Troyes to their place. Troyes, on a nice streak that included wins against Bordeaux and Lorient, had never lost at the Stadium du Nord. Kader Keita, aka the wicked winger who should have been a magician, beat Le Crom through a tough angle on 16 minutes. Stéphane Dumont put them up two-nil three minutes later on a decent volley. Dumont then gave Keida Lille’s third on a silver platter in the 35th minute. He proceeded to have himself a brace as well, right after the start of the second half. Lille is looking good going into the big match at Old Trattford on Wednesday. They are also in third with a solid goal difference over Toulouse.

Fourth, fifth and sixth places are all held by sides that didn’t win this weekend, Toulouse, who drew nil-nil with Valenciennes, Sochaux, who were shocked at home against Nantes, and Bordeaux, who were held scoreless against Monaco.

Other scores: Auxerre 1-0 Rennes; Lorient 0-0 Nice; Nancy 1-1 Le Mans;