Saint-Etienne rallies to draw 3-3 with Brest in Ligue 1
Saint-Etienne rallies to draw 3-3 with Brest in Ligue 1
PARIS (AP) — Struggling Saint-Etienne came from behind three times to draw 3-3 with Brest in Ligue 1 on Sunday and earn a valuable point in its relegation fight.
The draw moved 17th-placed Saint-Etienne three points behind Le Havre in the relegation-playoff spot with five rounds left.
Advertisement
The manner of the performance may give Saint-Etienne fans hope, although the club has a difficult run-in with games against high-flying Monaco, Lyon and Strasbourg — who are all chasing a Champions League spot next season.
Eighth-placed Brest led 3-2 after a thrilling first half where striker Ludovic Ajorque scored twice for the visitors and Abdallah Sima got the other goal, while lively forwards Lucas Stassin and Irvin Cardona netted for Saint-Etienne.
Cardona made it 3-3 with 10 minutes to go and Saint-Etienne went close to winning when Zuriko Davitashvili's header hit the crossbar five minutes into stoppage time.
Later Sunday, resurgent Lyon needed a victory at midtable Auxerre to move into fourth place in the race for a Champions League place.
Advertisement
Rennes routs Le Havre
Rennes raced into a 3-0 lead inside 15 minutes on the way to a 5-1 win at Le Havre.
Dutch midfielder Azor Matusiwa scored after 37 seconds following a huge blunder by goalkeeper Mathieu Gorgelin, who passed the ball straight to a Rennes player. Striker Arnaud Kalimuendo then set up Matusiwa for an empty-net goal.
Defender Lorenz Assignon and Kalimuendo netted soon after. Le Havre pulled one back before the break but Jordan forward Mousa Tamari and substitute Andrés Gomez grabbed completed a rout as Rennes moved up to 11th.
Montpellier's misery continues
Striker Esteban Lepaul scored twice as Angers beat rock-bottom Montpellier 2-0 and pushed it closer to relegation.
Montpellier is 12 points behind Le Havre with only 15 points available.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Arsenal interested in signing Rogers, Brentford reject Mbeumo bid
Arsenal have added Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers to their list of attacking targets this summer. According to the Times, Rogers is admired by the north Londoners due to his versatility and Premier League experience. Advertisement Villa will want a substantial fee for the 22-year-old, even with Champions League football. Teamtalk say the Midlands outfit have also become the latest club to show and interest in Jadon Sancho after his loan to Chelsea from Manchester United ended. Sky Sports report that Manchester United have had an opening £55 million bid for Bryan Mbeumo rejected by Brentford. The Bees are willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old, but have rejected United's bid of £45 million plus £10 million add ons, with the west Londoners looking closer to £60 million. Sky also say Manchester City are close to agreeing a deal with Wolves over the signing of fullback Rayan Ait Nouri. Advertisement The 23-year-old has only one-year left on his contract and both clubs have reportedly settled on a £33.7 million deal. Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, according to the Daily Mail. The forward has an £85m clause for Premier League clubs, active for the first ten days of July. According to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool have no intention of selling Luis Diaz this summer. The Colombian international has two years left on his deal with the Reds with Barcelona and Saudi Pro League sides Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr reportedly interested. Elsewhere, Football Insider write that Harvey Elliot is most likely to join a Serie A side this summer if the 22-year-old was to leave Liverpool. Advertisement Clubs in Italy and Germany are closely monitoring Elliot's movements, with the midfielder struggling for consistent game time on Merseyside. Finally, talkSPORT say in-demand forward Viktor Gyokeres is open to a move to Manchester United, despite the Red Devils' lack of European football. Any move for the 27-year-old would be dependant on sales, with Sporting Lisbon dropping their asking price to £60 million from the £85 million release clause.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Crystal Palace's Europe place in balance after Uefa rejects owners' blind trust move
Uefa has rejected offers from Crystal Palace shareholders John Textor and David Blitzer to put their shares in a blind trust to ensure the club can compete in Europe next season. Palace's participation in the Europa League has been cast into doubt as the club's largest shareholder Textor is also the majority owner of Lyon, who have also qualified for the second tier competition. And to compound matters, Blitzer's Danish club Brøndy have qualified for the Conference League, so the prospect of the FA Cup winners dropping into that competition is also not an option due to the European governing body's multi-club rules. Related: John Textor seeks sale of Crystal Palace stake in bid to avoid European ban Palace executives, including Textor and chairman Steve Parish, met with Uefa officials in Nyon on Tuesday to try to broker a solution without reaching a resolution. The Guardian has learned that the so-called blind trust option in which Textor's Palace shares would be placed in the hands of trustees next season was rejected by Uefa, as the club missed the deadline for registering the trust. Manchester City and Manchester United both used blind trusts to ensure compliance with Uefa multi-club rules last season after their partner clubs, Girona and Nice, both also qualified for the Champions League and Europa League respectively, while Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis also transferred his shares when Nuno Espirito Santos' side and his Greek club Olympiacos looked on course to qualify for next season's Champions League. Uefa rules state that such ownership changes must take place before 1 March to take effect in time for the following season, however, with Palace told this week that they will not be shown any flexibility. European qualification was not on the agenda for Palace before March, as they were mid-table in the Premier League and had not progressed beyond the FA Cup fifth round. Palace are in danger of paying a heavy price for their lack of foresight, leading to considerable frustration at Uefa's lack of flexibility. Uefa declined to comment, but sources at the European governing body stressed that given more than 300 clubs take part in its competitions each season, it has to ensure that the regulations are applied consistently. Textor told the Daily Mail after Tuesday's meeting that he is looking to sell his 45% stake in Palace, but there is little realistic prospect of that happening in time to influence Uefa's decision, with the Europa League qualifying draw due to take place on 17 June. Just three weeks ago on the eve of the FA Cup final, The Guardian revealed that Textor was seeking to buy out fellow American shareholders, Blitzer and Josh Harris, who own 36% of the club between them. The two parties have previously held on-off talks about buying each other out, but have never got close to an agreement on price. Textor also signalled his intention to sell Palace when he was attempting to buy Everton last summer without making any discernible progress. With a quick sale and the transfer of shares seemingly off the table, Palace's best hope of playing in the Europa League for the first time appears to be persuading Uefa that Textor has no influence at Selhurst Park, although this may not be straightforward. In addition to his 45% stake Textor has 25% equal voting rights with Parish, Blitzer and Harris, and is known to have played a key role in the appointment of the manager Oliver Glasner last year. Textor has declined to comment. Uefa rules make clear that any influence at two clubs in the same competition is prohibited. 'No one may simultaneously be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration, and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a Uefa club competition,' the regulations state. 'No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a Uefa club competition, (including) holding a majority of the shareholders' voting rights; having the right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the administrative, management or supervisory body of the club; being a shareholder and alone controlling a majority of the shareholders' voting rights pursuant to an agreement entered into with other shareholders of the club; or being able to exercise by any means a decisive influence in the decision-making of the club.' In the event of Palace being barred from the Europa League, Forest could be promoted to take their place after qualifying for the Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League. Palace's rivals Brighton, who finished eighth, could then replace Forest in the Conference League. Palace's European position is under threat rather than Lyon's, as Uefa rules state that the club ranked highest in its domestic championship will be given entry to the competition. Lyon's sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 gives them precedence over Palace, who came 12th in the Premier League.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Nemanja Matic given four-game ban after covering anti-homophobia logo on Lyon shirt
Nemanja Matic has been given a four-match ban after covering an anti-homophobia logo on his shirt while playing for Lyon. The incident occurred when Lyon beat Angers 2-0 in the 34th and final Ligue 1 matchday last month. For International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on May 17, French clubs customised their kits with a rainbow patch on their shirt sleeves. Advertisement Matic, 36, came on as a substitute for Tanner Tessman in the 69th minute of the game with a piece of white material appearing to cover the campaign's rainbow logo. Another symbol — the word 'homophobia' in French crossed out with a red line and 'football' underneath it — was not covered. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which governs French football, announced on Wednesday that Matic had been given a two-match ban with a further two matches suspended. Matic's Lyon contract expires at the end of this month. It was similarly widely reported that Le Havre's Ahmed Hassan also covered up the logo when his side faced Strasbourg. The LFP also announced Hassan had received the same punishment as Matic. Both players, the LFP said, agreed in their hearings to participate 'in an awareness-raising campaign on the fight against homophobia in football' within six months. 'Football has a massive platform, and the (French Football) Federation is determined to put this issue on the clubs' and supporters' agenda,' France's sports minister Marie Barsacq said after the incidents, via Reuters. 'Homophobic insults and behaviour are no longer acceptable. Society has evolved, and the language in football must change with it. There's a full range of sanctions available, and they must be applied.' Last year, Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara was banned for four matches by the LFP after appearing to place white tape over an anti-homophobia message on his shirt. Ligue 1's campaign against homophobia has been running since 2021 and aims to increase awareness around LGBTQ+ rights in football.
