PARIS: The three Ligue 1 teams jostling behind leaders Paris St-Germain all dropped points on Saturday on a day of draws.

Olympique de Marseille and Lille cancelled each other out, 1-1, at the Velodrome.

Marseille remained second, on goal difference, when third-place AS Monaco drew 0-0 at Reims in the late game. The pair are three ahead of Lille.

RC Lens moved up to sixth after coming from behind twice to draw 2-2 at Auxerre.

In Marseille, Quentin Merlin gave the home team a 17th-minute lead but Bafode Diakite levelled for the visitors.

Both coaches were inclined to say their glasses were half full.

“I think we played a great game against a great team.” said Marseille’s Roberto De Zerbi. “Our chances came from the quality of our play, theirs from our mistakes.”

De Zerbi said his team should have won. So did Lille coach Bruno Genesio.

“I have mixed feelings. I’m pleased to have come back from a goal down but a little frustrated because we could have done better and we deserved better,” said Genesio.

“We’ve played 25 games, we’re fourth, we’re unbeaten in 16 and we’ve qualified for at least the last 16 of the Champions League,” he added.

De Zerbi was equally bullish.

“We’re second, with 30 points from 15 games, and that’s no mean feat.”

Monaco coach Adi Huet­ter struck a similar note after his team’s goalless draw.

“We missed out on two points and a great opportunity to move up to second place, so we’re not happy,” said the Austrian. But, he said, “We’re on the right track.”

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2024