Matchday 6
Another week of action in Ligue 1 and fan trouble makes more news than what happened on the pitch. This weekends fixture saw a number of derbies/rivalries with RC Lens vs. Lille OSC, Nice vs. Monaco and PSG vs. Lyon. The flashpoint came during RC Lens vs. Lille. On the pitch, matchday 6 started with a resounding 3:0 home win for Strasbourg vs. Metz.
Saturday opened with the trouble, as Lens hosted Lille for the first Derby du Nord match of the season. Lens won the game 1:0 but all that will be remembered of the derby is the trouble that originated in the away section as Lille fans began targeting the home support near them. This caused the Lens ultras to invade the pitch to confront the Lille fans at the opposite end. The rest of the weekends action went off with little to no trouble off the pitch.
17/09/2021
RC Strasbourg Alsace 3:0 FC Metz
18/09/2021
RC Lens 1:0 Lille OSC
AS Saint-Etienne 1:2 Girondins de Bordeaux
19/09/2021
OGC Nice 2:2 AS Monaco
Stade de Reims 0:0 FC Lorient
Angers SCO 1:4 FC Nantes
Clermont Foot 1:1 Stade Brestois
ESTAC Troyes 1:1 Montpellier HSC
Olympique de Marseille 2:0 Stade Rennais
Paris Saint-Germain 2:1 Olympique Lyonnais
Matchday 7
It didn’t take long until the next instances of trouble occurred. The bus of Bordeaux fans was targeted with stones prior to the Montpellier game but it was the scenes at Angers vs. Marseille that have caused most of the discussion. Throughout the match, the travelling OM fans were targeted with firecrackers and flares from the home section. Despite appeals for calm over the PA system, at the end of the game the Marseille ultras entered the pitch and a brawl ensued. Members of one of the Marseille Ultras groups, the Fanatics, were involved in a collision travelling home to Marseille. The accident resulted in the death of one with others needing medical attention. On the pitch, Stade Rennais put their poor run of form behind them with a resounding 6:0 home victory vs. Clermont.
22/09/2021
AS Monaco 3:1 AS Saint-Etienne
FC Nantes 3:1 Stade Brestois
Montpellier HSC 3:3 Girondins de Bordeaux
Lille OSC 2:1 Stade de Reims
Stade Rennais 6:0 Clermont Foot
RC Lens 0:1 RC Strasbourg Alsace
Angers SCO 0:0 Olympique de Marseille
FC Metz 1:2 Paris Saint-Germain
Olympique Lyonnais 3:1 ESTAC Troyes
FC Lorient 1:0 OGC Nice
Matchday 8
Back to back wins for Lille and Monaco sees them climb up the table after their poor start. PSG remain the only side without dropping points, winning 8 out of 8 matches following their 2:0 win vs. Montpellier. Stade de Reims continue to pull out some good results, this time a 3:1 home vs. Nantes.
A poignant atmosphere in Marseille, the first match since the death of Clemont, the fan who died in the traffic accident. The normally vociferous home support of Marseille from the Nord and Sud was understandably subdued. The main group banners were blacked out in a symbol of mourning, only banners with messages to the memory Clemont, his family and the Fanatics were on show.
25/09/2021
AS Saint-Etienne 0:3 OGC Nice
RC Strasbourg Alsace 1:2 Lille OSC
Olympique Lyonnais 1:1 FC Lorient
Paris Saint-Germain 2:0 Montpellier HSC
26/09/2021
Girondins de Bordeaux 1:1 Stade Rennais
Stade Brestois 1:2 FC Metz
Stade de Reims 3:1 FC Nantes
ESTAC Troyes 1:1 Angers SCO
Clermont Foot 1:3 AS Monaco
Olympique de Marseille 2:3 RC Lens
