Ligue 2 Review #10: Goalkeeper-scoring heroics at Rodez, PFC retain lead at the top
Match Reports
From goalkeepers scoring to the' luxurious' lead held by Paris FC at the top, Ligue 2 has brought the drama once again this weekend.
It's already been ten rounds in Ligue 2 BKT already this season, and the table is starting to take shape both at the summit, the race for the play-offs and in the relegation scrap. Paris FC have won their fifth (yep, fifth) match in a row as they set the pace at the top, whilst Martigues and Troyes look like they are putting up a fight at the bottom of the table. But first, let's go to the Noust Camp, where Rodez pulled off the mightiest of comebacks against Lorient right in the last minute of added-time.
Rodez 3-3 Lorient: RAF Keeper Lionel Mpasi goes rogue with 97th minute goal
This is why we love football. Rodez claimed a vital draw against summit-chasers FC Lorient in a dramatic 3-3 draw at home. Les Merlus thought they were home and dry by the last half hour, after taking a 3-1 lead against the Aveyron outfit. Yet, Waniss Taïbi would give the hosts some hope of getting back into the game with a well-hit strike from just outside the box (89').
Then, the unthinkable: goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi rushed in front of the Lorient defence at the near post and buried a header at the 97th minute to save a vital point for Rodez at 3-3. For Les Merlus, it significantly hindered their push at the top of the table. For their top of the table rivals in Paris - it was certainly good news.
Watch: Lionel Mpasi's 3-3 leveller for Rodez
Paris FC 2-1 Grenoble: League leaders see off threat from GF38
They say luxury never goes out of fashion. But Paris FC's lead at the top of the table is certainly becoming more fashionable for the Parisien footballing crowd who once again flocked to Stade Charléty to see their side runout 2-1 winners against a combative Grenoble side. Maxime Lopez squeezed in a tight finish to open the scoring for PFC, scoring his first Ligue 2 goal in the process (37'). Only minutes later would Illan Kebbal double the hosts' advantage from a well-struck direct free-kick, as the league leaders began to cruise just before the end of the first half (45').
Watch: Maxime Lopez's first goal for PAris FC
The side from the Alps fought back against the side at the summit of the league, as the Ligue 2 top scorer Pape Meïssa Ba gave hope of a comeback when he halved the deficit with a low finish (82'). But it was too little too late for Grenoble, as Paris secured a straight fifth win in the league and their eighth so far of the season.
Elsewhere in Ligue 2:
- Martigues ran out 1-0 winners away to Clermont to earn a vital win in the race to survive. It triggered the first sacking of the 2024-2025 season with Sébastien Bichard leaving Clermont in 14th spot after Les Lanciers were relegated from Ligue 1 last season.
- Dunkerque secured a 2-0 win over strugglers Red Star to maintain their push in third place, with Ousmane Sangante (31') and Naatan Skytta (63') on the scoresheet for les Maritimes.
- Troyes secured a vital win over SM Caen near the bottom of the table, winning their second game of the season and dragging the Normand side into further trouble in the process.
- Metz further consolidated their spot in fourth with a win over EAG Guingamp at Stade Saint-Symphorien (1-0), Diallo the scorer for a 5th win of the season for Les Grenats.
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