They left no suspense. Killed the race for second place in the first 35 minutes. RC Lens signed a resounding victory this Saturday night against Ajaccio (3-0). A boss's victory. Thanks to Deiver Machado (16th), Adrien Thomasson (22nd) and Loïs Openda's 20th goal (35th), the Blood and Gold made sure to finish ahead of OM and reconnect with the Champions League for the first time since 2002.
20 – Loïs Openda scored his 20th goal in Ligue 1 2022/23, the best single-season total with Lens in the top flight since Roger Boli in 1993/94 and co-best total for a Belgian player in the post-war period with Eden Hazard in 2011/12. Fried🍟. #RCLACA pic.twitter.com/cSQXSTDBYu
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) May 27, 2023
Eight points separate them from Olympique de Marseille in the standings, one day from the end. Eight points, but also two qualifying rounds. Lens, qualified directly for the group stage, will avoid the third qualifying round and the play-off that OM will have to stick to hope to see the group stage of the next C1.
Rennes takes Monaco out of the European markets
Condemned to the smallest step of the podium, Marseillais did not know how to do the job. A 1-2 defeat against Brest at home, which will ultimately have no impact on the standings. Behind the Phocaeans, another European seeker did not respond either. AS Monaco, beaten in Rennes (2-0), may miss any continental competition. European cups that seemed within reach this season. A defeat for them, but a great happiness for Rennes, who knocked down the men of the Rock, and offered themselves fifth place before the final day.
But they are still just ahead of the Lillois. Winner in extremis of FC Nantes (2-1), Losc was however ghostly in the first half, offering on a plate a gag goal to Quentin Merlin (18th). But the timid awakening of the Dogues was finally enough. Two penalties from Jonathan David, which could erase the efficiency problems that the team, and concretize a season with often attractive play.
Lyon woke up too late this season, and their new success against Reims this Saturday (3-0), will not change anything. He could, however, influence the ranking of goalscorers, since the "general" Alexandre Lacazette stuck to a small achievement of Kylian Mbappé, finding the back of the net for the 27th time.
Everything is possible between Nantes and Auxerre
As for the threatened, they have experienced very different fates. The Canaries, therefore, bowed cruelly in the North. They thought they were holding the point of the draw when Alban Lafont stopped Jonathan David's penalty in the 86th, before the referee faced him to retire. The Auxerrois, they managed to bring back a point from the Southwest. AJA may even have regrets, since it led the score against Toulouse thanks to Rayan Raveloson (24th), and failed to hold the score before entering the locker room, despite its control over the game.
A duel of fear after the official maintenance of Strasbourg this Saturday evening, and a duel whose outcome will therefore wait for the last day. Nantes is two points behind, but will play its fate against the relegated Angevin. AJ Auxerre, him, against the European Lensois. Two stadiums, two atmospheres.
