Ligue 1 Matchday 17 Roundup: Sulc Double Powers Lyon, Lille Stumble At Home

Matchday 17 of Ligue 1 delivered big results across France on Saturday. Pavel Sulc’s prolific run continues for Lyon, Lille missed an opportunity to climb the table, and clubs like Nice, Rennes, and Monaco faced mixed fortunes heading into the new year.

Sulc Shines Again

Midfielder Pavel Sulc continued his outstanding debut season in Ligue 1, scoring twice as fifth-placed Lyon claimed a 3-1 away win over struggling AS Monaco.

The Czech midfielder, signed in the off-season from Czech First League side FK Jablonec, took his tally to 11 goals in 23 appearances, further cementing his status as one of the league’s most effective buys.

“He’s a different kind of player,” Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca said. “He’s not amazing technically, but he’s very efficient, he works very hard for the team, and the ball seems to be drawn to him.”

Lyon struck first in the 35th minute when Corentin Tolisso’s corner was flicked on by Nicolas Tagliafico, allowing Sulc to knee the ball home from close range.

Monaco equalised in first-half stoppage time after Lyon failed to deal with a long ball aimed at Folarin Balogun, with Mamadou Coulibaly capitalising.

Sulc restored Lyon’s lead in the 57th minute, driving home a precise strike from the edge of the penalty area, before Brazilian defender Abner Vinicius sealed the contest late on to make it 3-1.

The night worsened for Monaco when Coulibaly was shown a straight red card in the 70th minute for a dangerous high challenge on Tagliafico. The defeat marked Monaco’s sixth loss in seven league matches, leaving them marooned in mid-table.

Earlier, Monaco suffered a setback when goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was forced off with a knee injury following a collision with Sulc, with Philipp Kohn introduced as his replacement.

Lille Miss Chance To Climb

Lille squandered an opportunity to move into third place, suffering a 2-0 home defeat to sixth-placed Rennes.

The match turned early when Lille’s Brazilian defender Alexsandro was sent off in the 13th minute for impeding striker Breel Embolo inside the area.

Rennes made their numerical advantage count after the break, with Przemyslaw Frankowski and Quentin Merlin finding the net in the second half to secure all three points.

Debut Delight For Wahi

At Nice, loan signing Elye Wahi marked his debut under new coach Claude Puel with a goal as Nice drew 1-1 with Strasbourg.

Puel had replaced Franck Haise amid heightened tensions at the club. Although Nice recently ended a nine-match losing streak with a French Cup win, they remain without a league victory since October 29.

Strasbourg went ahead in the 13th minute through Joaquin Panichelli, who converted from the penalty spot. Wahi, who has endured a difficult spell since joining Eintracht Frankfurt from Marseille, needed just eight minutes to announce himself, scoring clinically in the 54th minute.

Rosenior’s Rising Profile

Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior continues to attract attention, with widespread reports linking him to the vacant Chelsea managerial position following Enzo Maresca’s abrupt exit on New Year’s Day. Rosenior is in his second season at Strasbourg, which has been owned by Chelsea’s parent group BlueCo since 2023.

Elsewhere, Lens maintained their position at the summit after a commanding 3-0 away win at Toulouse on Friday, ensuring they remain ahead of Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG will have the chance to respond on Sunday, when the champions host Paris FC in the first men’s top-flight Paris derby since 1990.

(With AP Inputs)