Ligue 1 Wrap: Dembele bags brace as Boulaya, Mendy, Cho, and Bayo score

Moussa Dembele was on target twice as Olympique Lyon bowed 3-2 to Metz in Sunday’s Ligue 1 outing.

Having failed to win any of their last 14 matches in the French top flight, the Maroons silenced ten-man Kids to keep their survival hopes alive.

Although Lyon began the game on a very bright note, the hosts took the lead in the 26th minute through Vincent Pajot.

Nicolas de Preville’s corner kick was flicked on by Lenny Lacroix to Pajot, who scored his first goal for the club with a superb first-time volley.

Five minutes before the half-time break, Didier Lamkel Ze doubled the lead with a deft finish over goalkeeper Anthony Lopes after receiving a fine pass from Pape Matar Sarr.

Two minutes later, Dembele reduced the deficit after he was teed up by Tete. The Mali prospect’s effort was ruled out for offside only for the decision to be overturned following a VAR review.

The ambition of Peter Bosz’s men to restore parity suffered a massive setback in the 68th minute as Thiago Mendes was given his marching orders for serious foul play against Lamkel Ze.

Despite numerical disadvantage, Lyon levelled matters in the 84th minute as Dembele completed his double thanks to an assist from Karl Toko Ekambi.

Metz claimed all points at stake as Farid Boulaya rifled in a third goal in stoppage time to secure a famous win.

The result moves the Maroons off the bottom of the table in 19th, while Lyon’s hopes of playing European football next season are almost over, as they are now five points adrift of fifth-place Strasbourg in the Uefa Europa Conference League place.

At the Stade Raymond Kopa, former France youth international of Bissau-Guinean descent Batista Mendy, Cote d’Ivoire and Morocco prospect Mohamed-Ali Cho and Stephane Bahoken were on song as Angers trounced Bordeaux 4-1.

The result leaves the Girondins on the brink of relegation to Ligue 2, as they sit four points adrift of the relegation play-off spot with two matches left to play. 

Whereas, the Black and Whites moved to 14th, seven points clear of 18th-placed St. Etienne.
In another fixture, Guinea international Mohamed Bayo was Clermont Foot’s hero as they silenced Montpellier 2-1 at the Stade Gabriel Montpied. 

Despite only losing once in their last 19 away games against newly-promoted sides in Ligue 1, La Paillade’s pitiable form in 2022 continues to hamper them. 

While they are mathematically safe from relegation, a frightening 11 defeats away from home this year is the most of any team currently in the French top-flight.