LIONEL MESSI STRUCK after five minutes as Paris Saint-Germain edged Lyon 1-0 to regain top spot in the Ligue 1 table ahead of Marseille on Sunday.
Neymar set up the Argentinian with his seventh assist in eight Ligue 1 games.
The victory pulled PSG two points clear of Marseille who had taken top spot earlier with a 1-1 draw at home against Rennes.
Lorient, 3-1 winners over Auxerre, are three points adrift of the leaders.
Lens dropped to fourth after being held to a goalless draw in Nantes.
PSG were imperious in the first half but did not finish off their opponent who woke up after the break with Johann Lepenant coming on in place of a tired Corentin Tolisso.
But Christophe Galtier’s side held on to inflict Lyon’s third defeat of the season.
Galtier’s “MNM” attack is firing on all cylinders, with eight goals in Ligue 1 for Neymar, seven for Kylian Mbappe and four for Messi.
Earlier, Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi scored both goals in a 1-1 draw at home against Rennes.
Guendouzi bundled past home keeper Pau Lopez to give Rennes the advantage after 26 minutes but the former Arsenal player redeemed himself with a header past ex-Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda seven minutes after the break.
Mandanda returned to a warm welcome for his first match back at the Velodrome where the former Marseille skipper spent 15 years before leaving for Brittany in the summer.
“He was very good, very calm, while it was very difficult for him emotionally,” said Rennes coach Bruno Genesio of Mandanda who holds the record for the number of games played for Marseille with 613.
Nice fell 1-0 at home against Angers in a match in which defender Jean-Clair Todibo earned a red card after five seconds and both teams finished with 10 men.
Todibo was sent off after just nine seconds, and that includes the four seconds it took referee Bastien Dechepy to pull the card out of his pocket.
Sofiane Boufal kicked off for Angers and passed to Adrien Hunou. He found striker Abdallah Sima surging forward. Sima pushed the ball past Todibo who stuck out a leg and tripped the striker.
After a video review, the decision that Todibo was the last defender stood.
Even though Boufal was later sent off, Angers won 1-0 with Nabil Bentaleb scoring just before the break.
“I don’t think it was a red card,” said Nice coach Lucien Favre saying Dante and Jordan Lotomba were covering. “It was not a scoring opportunity.
“We would have won this game if we had played with eleven players.”
- ‘Killed the game’ -
There was also red card controversy in Reims who fell 3-0 to Monaco with defender Bradley Locko sent off after 22 minutes for leaving a boot in on Breel Embolo.
“The referee killed the game,” lamented Reims coach Oscar Garcia, and “it’s not the first time”.
Club president Jean-Pierre Caillot has been also suspended until December 31 for criticising the refereeing in a draw against Lyon last month.
In a punishing game in Brittany, Ajaccio got their first win of the season 1-0 at Brest in a match where two players were stretched off.
Seconds after kick-off, Ajaccio goalkeeper Benjamin Leroy caught a team-mate’s knee head-on as he tried to catch a ball.
“There was a loss of consciousness, he was hit in the neck,” said Corsican coach Olivier Pantaloni.
An aerial duel also floored Noah Fadiga after half an hour, leaving the defender stunned in a head-to-head clash with Ismael Diallo.
The 22-year-old Brest player also left the pitch on a stretcher, giving the thumbs up to try to reassure the fans.
Ajaccio got their first success of the season thanks to Romain Hamouma’s 65th-minute goal, to leave the Corsicans only one point behind Brest and Strasbourg.
Elsewhere Troyes won 3-1 at Clermont to move up to 10th after two defeats in a row.
Clermont captain Johan Gastien scored after just three minutes but the visitors hit back with a Mama Balde double rounded off with a late goal from Renaud Ripart.
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“If everyone was fit at the start of the Six Nations you definitely wouldn’t have picked that backline but Ford, Watson and Joseph have all been excellent. Ford controls the team so well and Joseph has been fantastic so far.”
This quote brings to mind the benefits of picking players in the position they play week in week out for their clubs.
Haskell is 3-1 to run head-long as fast as he can into one of the posts again. Free money!
The guys who are lighting up the 6 nations wouldn’t even get picked if they were full strength.
Strength in depth or a head coach who can’t pick his best 15 players?
Heaslip will be a huge loss against England. Jordi Murphy isn’t good enough for this kind of test. I think the best option is Henderson, O Mahoney and O Brien at 8.
O’Brien has only played 8 once for Ireland, I think you’d be more likely to see POM move to 8 then SOB – but it won’t happen. Joe likes his structures and it makes more sense from a squad perspective for one natural 8 to drop in and replace another.
It’s a pity though because I would love to see that backrow, Henderson is something else.
Is there anything to be said for bringing on Madigan for Payne after 60 mins for the Sextón, Madigan, Henshaw axis we all want to see? Payne has been great in defence but he’s not gelling with Sextón fast enough.
I dont want to see that trio against England.
Let me guess? Keatley, JJ and Earls would be your pick? ;)
Nothing to do with any alleged pro munster bias more to do with Madigans weakness in defense.Leave Payne at 12.
I don’t want to see that trio ever, I don’t want to see Madigan on an international pitch as I don’t think he’s anywhere near that standard of player so please speak for yourself.
@Fecky Din: Madigan is a good defender, he has proven that. That statement is simply made because you don’t like him, and/or he is a pretty boy. The stats don’t lie however. He is solid in defence.
@Stuart: The problem with that trio is that Henshaw is an unbelievable 12 and we have plenty of good 13′s. Payne, Earls, McFadden, Cave and Fitzgerald. Then there is the fact that 10 cover isn’t that great, with only Madigan and Keatley at the moment. Personally I’d pick Earls/Fitzgerald, but we can’t deny Payne has been doing a good job
Lovely reasoned comment and a beautiful name. We should all strive to be more like young Rudiger here!
Back to my point, I’m not saying Madigan should start. I think Payne is a less risky option. But when the game needs to be won in the last quarter you need to take a calculate risk at a game breaker. Payne hasn’t been as electric for Ireland compared to where he had loads of space at 15 in the Pro12. Granted neither has Madigan but we got a glimpse of his vision in the perfect pass to TOD against Italy who admittedly scored when he had no right to!
Why would I want to see 3arls playing in the Centre or why in Gods name would I have Keatley instead of an on fire Sexton? Are you insane? Straight in with the provincial cr@pology. Grow up, its Ireland.
Captain Craic!
As long as Earls isn’t playing 12 or 13 then it will be fine.
Payne doesn’t play 12 !!!!
Utter nonsense – you know absolutely nothing about rugby if you can’t see the obvious talent of Madigan – you may not like his personality but his talent is undeniable. Just a really silly comment
I never said he’d no talent. He is, however, pretty much untested at test level and as for throwing him in at 12 against England, why? Henshaw and Payne are rock solid defensively and with space will prosper in attack. Madigan isn’t as good defensively as either IMO. As for my knowledge on rugby, you may be right. I might know nothing. Madigans personality is not my affair or business, as an Ireland fan I do not want him at 12 V England.
I agree with Patrick! A lot is said for picking players who play week in week out in a position
Luke Fitz deserves his go at 13… That man of the match performance v Wasps showed how good he can be
Would ya stop. Biggest game of the tourno and throw in an untested player at a position he hasn’t held down since underage, madness.
“Untested” Lions test starter with a grand slam and 3 Heineken Cup medals in his pocket?
More experience at 13 than Payne!
Playing right into our hands if everyone keeps tipping the English. . Ireland better as the underdogs backs to the wall (hopefully)
England look OK – but only in the second half of the matches they have played so far.
Thoughts on Jordi Murphy??
Lovely hair
I can show you plenty of examples of his dynamism in attack. Have you got any examples of his weakness in defence? He’s the only way we are scoring trying against England. Luke and Earls are playing well too. We won’t beat England with penalties…
There is nothing to be said for it, the chap makes me nervous when he leaves the bench to warm up or even hand out water, his decision making is poor, his ability to control a game is poor, he came on as a blood replacement for sexton during the French game and twice he dragged our backline out of shape as he didn’t know whether he was playing 10 or 12
Nah…he was solid when he came on. Slotted his penalty with confidence. Worked a great wrapped around to get an attack goin on a penalty advantage and if Heaslip had off loaded the pass in the tackle back to him he’d have set the backs up for a score out wide. I think he’s been black listed cause of one shite wolfhounds night and that’s really unfair
This team is built around solid defence and unfortunately for earls because he is a great attacking player. He simply isn’t strong enough in defence to warrant a place in the squad.
And Jones…
To be honest Ireland are the form team. Lets not lose sight of that fact and making others favourites as usual.
Why is it that just before any championship whether its football or rugby or whatever, even though England doesn’t have good form, suddenly they can win it. Ireland are the form team and that is a fact.
You can’t deny that England look good for the tournament so far.
But I think Joe Schmidt is too smart a coach for anyone to be convinced.
I have faith for Sunday week and if we win – I’m predicting Ireland 16 England 11 – and then it’s ours to lose.
COYBIG!!!!!!!!!!!!