After Game Day 28, we can safely say that the French title is down to two teams; Paris St Germain, owned by a sovereign wealth fund (the Qatari government), or RC Lens, is owned by a French investment fund. So the title will be won by a club worth $90 million, or one worth $1.6 billion. But I digress, since no American is with either team.
Monaco 2 – 1 Marseille
When Monaco faced off against Marseille on Easter Sunday, Folarin Balogun did what he has been doing a lot lately – he scored what turned out to be the game winner against his international teammate, Tim Weah. The Brooklyn born, London raised striker put in an 84-minute shift, while the right back son of the former Liberian president, who was also born in Brooklyn, played for 89 minutes. Balogun’s second half goal made him the first Monaco player to score in six straight games since 2019.
The first decent save of the game came from the Marseille keeper, Geronimo Rulli, who turned away Maghnes Akliouche’s effort early in the game. Weah had a chance at the other end around the half hour mark when Amine Gouiri played a sweet pass to him at the edge of the box, but the Yank made a mess of the shot. Then it was drama at the other end when Balogun was brought down in the box, but the referee nodded “non” this time.
Just before the hour mark the hosts finally broke the deadlock when Teze, from the top of the box, flicked a high ball forward where Russian midfielder, Aleksandr Golovin got on the end of it from five yards out for 7th of the season.
Balogun’s goal came after a poor kick by Marseille’s Benjamin Pavard who kicked the ball right into the path of the American who still had a lot of work to do, charging down the field from around the center circle, going wide and then chipping the keeper.
Five minutes from time, Gouri got one back for the visitors, but the Algerian’s 11th goal was too little and too late.
The win, Monaco’s seventh in a row, leaves them in fifth place, while Marseille sits one place above them but equal on points. Balogun will look to keep his scoring streak alive when they go up against Paris FC in the French capital, while Weah’s team will host last place Metz.
PSG 3 – 1 Toulouse
PSG widened the gap and took a step closer to securing yet another French title with their win over Mark McKenzie and Toulouse, because of second place Lens’ loss to Lille in the Derby of the North. The American defender played the full 90 where French international striker Ousmane Dembele, found the back of the net twice. Goncalo Ramos scored the other Parisian goal and Toulouse’s center back, Rasmus Nicolaisen denied the Russian in the PSG goal, Matvey Safonov, a clean sheet.
Toulouse will go up against 3rd place Lille over the weekend as they hope to improve on their current 10th place placing.
Notes
Tanner Tessmann played for 73 minutes in Lyon’s scoreless draw away at Angers. Now in 6th place, they’ll host Lorient over the weekend.
