Auxerre continue impressive unbeaten run against France's elite
Auxerre have been particularly strong against Ligue 1's elite. Against the current top three (Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique de Marseille, and OGC Nice), they are unbeaten. Pélissier's side have beaten Marseille home and away by an aggregate score of 6-1, beat Nice at home and then drew away, at the Allianz Riviera, on Friday night thanks to Florian Ayé's 94th-minute equaliser (1-1). Auxerre also held PSG to a draw but will have to face them again before the end of the campaign.
'11 points out of 15 (against the top three) is not bad but, unfortunately for us, there are other matches,' joked Pélissier in a post-match press conference, attended by Get French Football News.
Auxerre's defensive solidity and ability to hit in transition has been key to their success. Guile and audacity were key ingredients against Nice as they went for broke in the second half. 'I decided to change because I that we didn't make them struggle at the start. We went from a 4-4-2 to basically a 4-2-4 because there were just forwards up front,' said Pélissier, referencing the raft of changes made in the 76th minute. It was a change that allowed Auxerre to keep up their unbeaten run against Ligue 1's top three and enhance their 'giant-killer' reputation this season.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 minutes ago
- USA Today
Leona Maguire hires well-known caddie nicknamed 'Wobbly' for Scottish Open
Leona Maguire holed out from the fairway for eagle with a 9-iron on her first hole with Phil Morbey on the bag. Morbey, known by friends as "Wobbly," joked that he might as well walk in after that start. Maguire went on to shoot 67-71 in the first two rounds of the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links and sits in a share of eighth at 6 under. She's six back of leader Lottie Woad, who is making her pro debut. Morbey boasts more than 40 wins worldwide and was on the bag for Ian Woosnam's 1991 Masters victory and a number of Ryder Cups. European stars he's worked with include Darren Clarke, Jose Maria Olazabal, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. "He's a legend of the game," said Maguire. "He's caddied for some big players. I have big shoes to fill, but nice to have his expertise and experience on the bag." Maguire noted that this week marks Morbey's first time working in the women's game.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
🚨 Official: Lyon sign the son of a Dutch legend
Another Kluivert in Ligue 1. This Friday, OL officially announced the signing of Ruben Kluivert from Casa Pia. The arrival of the 24-year-old defender was an open secret, as the Dutchman had already started training with his new team. The defender is also the son of legend Patrick Kluivert and becomes the second child of the Dutch striker to play in Ligue 1 after Justin, who wore the colors of Nice in 2021-22. The transfer fee is estimated to be around four million euros according to various sources. Also read: - The war continues, Bein slams the LFP - Mbappé's explosive response to the Olympic controversy - An English club announces the signing of... Taylor Swift 😳 This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here. 📸 CARLOS COSTA - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alexander Isak eyes Newcastle exit with Liverpool monitoring situation
Alexander Isak wants to explore options at other clubs and a transfer away from Newcastle United, potentially throwing Eddie Howe's summer plans into chaos. The 25-year-old was not included in last week's friendly defeat to Celtic due to "speculation" around his future, and has now not travelled to Singapore for pre-season due to a thigh injury. Newcastle have been made aware that Isak is keen to consider his future elsewhere. The Independent understands that Howe had already privately told prominent figures at the club this summer that he was concerned about the player's situation. That view also precedes reports of Liverpool's public interest last week. Newcastle's position remains the same, however, which is that Isak is not for sale. Their stance has also been bolstered by the fact that he still has three years left on his current contract. There are also no ongoing talks over a new deal. An offer in the region of £150m may test that, though, especially with the knowledge that the player wants to consider his options. The big question, however, is where such an offer comes from. There are only about eight clubs that could afford such a deal, but almost none of them have the PSR headroom or squad need to make it happen. Liverpool have just spent £79m on Hugo Ekitike, a deal that had been linked to Isak's future given Newcastle's own interest in the French forward. That feasibly rules them out of a future move, although there is the potential twist should Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz leave. Liverpool do have PSR headroom but want to ensure they have a sustainable squad with a manageable wage bill. Bayern Munich have spoken to Liverpool about Diaz, but it has not yet reached the point of an offer. Liverpool's current stance is that they are comfortable with their options at centre-forward and feel they have their number-nine in Ekitike, but a move for Isak this window has not been ruled out. Mikel Arteta has long been an admirer of the Swede, and would have love to do a deal, but it is seen as virtually impossible that Arsenal's Kroenke ownership will extend the budget. The club are also on the brink of signing Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres for less than half of Isak's anticipated price. Chelsea have now ruled out a move, despite previous interest in Isak, and representing one of the few clubs with the available budget. Any move for Isak would have also required a deviation from recent targets, as they continue to pursue moves for Xavi Simons and Jarrel Hato. While virtually every club sees Isak as an outstanding talent, there is some doubt about whether £150m is worth it for a player who has recently struggled to consistently play in full European schedules without injury.
