Ligue 2 Review #22: Kroupi scores as Lorient see off Red Star, Caen hit rock bottom

Another week of Ligue 2 BKT action has seen leaders Lorient keep the pace at the top of the table, whilst Martigues continue their recent resurgence to lift off the bottom of the table.

Red Star 1-2 FC Lorient: League leaders continue winning run in Audonien sunshine

The Breton league leaders travelled to the suburbs of Paris on Saturday afternoon to face a Red Star side that are currently fighting for their lives near the bottom of the Ligue 2 BKT table. Les Merlus managed to seal their third consecutive win and go three points ahead of Paris FC in the battle for promotion.

Eli Junior Kroupi has been the subject of major interest this transfer window, but it didn't look like it bothered him one bit when he scored to put Lorient into the lead with a fine low finish on the edge of the box after he was served by Pablo Pagis (24'). Les Merlus doubled their lead when Laurent Abergel chipped through Arthur Avom who just simply poked past Robin Risser to double the Lorientais lead just before the hour-mark (57').

Red Star's Aliou Badji was quick off the mark to follow up on Merwan Ifnaoui's strike that hit the post to half the deficit for L'Étoile Rouge, but the Bretons managed to see out the lead for another vital three points in the race at the top of the table.

EA Guingamp 0-1 Paris FC: Les Parisiens keep up the chase behind Lorient with win

Stephane Gilli's men travelled to a Stade Roudourou that only last week hosted the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Judge Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior in the UEFA Champions League. Yet this week it was back to Guingamp and Ligue 2 BKT action as Paris FC managed to see out a tight win against the Bretons. Defender Moustapha Mbow was on the end of a corner flicked towards the far post by Jean-Phillipe Krasso to volley Les Parisiens ahead (36'), who would go on to hold onto the one-goal advantage to seal all three points.

Dunkerque 0-1 Martigues: The Sang & Or lift themselves off bottom! 

Martigues traversed the entirety of the country to face off the feel-good story of the season in USL Dunkerque, but the Sang & Or managed to surprise the play-off contenders with a late victory sealed by Ayoub Amraoui just before the end of the 90 minutes. Amraoui would latch onto a fizzed-in cross, control with his chest, before finishing from close range into the back of the net (88').

As Martigues saw out the result, it meant that the Sudistes would leave the bottom spot of the table and only go four points away from Red Star FC above them. It also condemned SM Caen to the bottom of the table after their loss against ESTAC Troyes.

Around the Grounds in Ligue 2 BKT: 

• Caen have hit rock bottom in the table following a fifth straight loss in a defeat to ESTAC Troyes (0-3). Youssouf M'changama, Rafiki Saïd, and Mouhamed Diop were all on target for the hosts.
• Grenoble continue their charge under new manager Franck Rizzetto with a fourth win in their last five games, coming against Rodez with Théo Valls and Mamadou Diarra on target after Noah Cadiou's initial opener for RAF.
• FC Metz dropped points in the race for the top two but managed to claw a draw from the jaws of defeat at Bastia with a late Gauthier Hein penalty in injury time. This was after Maxime Blé scored early on for the Corsicans, who sit comfortably mid-table in 11th after the draw.

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>>Ligue 2 Review #21: Derby delight for Paris FC, Martigues back to winning ways!