Lens the only winner as league postpones Marseille vs Rennes

By: Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press Posted: 2:51 PM CST Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021 Last Modified: 2:52 PM CST Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021

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PARIS - Lens won 2-1 at Montpellier to move up to sixth place on Saturday in what unexpectedly turned out to be the only French league game of the day.

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PARIS - Lens won 2-1 at Montpellier to move up to sixth place on Saturday in what unexpectedly turned out to be the only French league game of the day.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/01/2021 (2070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PARIS – Lens won 2-1 at Montpellier to move up to sixth place on Saturday in what unexpectedly turned out to be the only French league game of the day.

Marseille’s home match against Rennes was postponed just three hours before kickoff, following angry protests from disgruntled Marseille fans at the club’s training complex.

When the league called off Marseille’s game, Lens was leading Montpellier 1-0 thanks to Mali midfielder Cheick Doucoure’s early goal.

A sign hung by Marseille supporters aimed at Olympique de Marseille club president Jacques-Henri Eyraud reads "Eyraud: you dirty our club, go away" in Marseille, southern France, Saturday Jan. 30, 2021.The French league postponed Marseille's home game against Rennes just three hours before kickoff on Saturday after angry Marseille fans marched to the club's training complex to protest poor results. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Winger Gael Kakuta’s ninth league goal of an impressive campaign made it 2-0 midway through the second half, before 18-year-old forward Elye Wahi pulled one back in the 78th and then missed a chance to equalize for midtable Montpellier.

Next up for Lens is a home game against seventh-place Marseille, which will have played two fewer games than most other sides after this weekend and is scheduled to face bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain next Sunday.

The French league moved quickly to postpone the game against Rennes at Stade Velodrome after Marseille fans descended on the training ground in the afternoon to protest poor results.

Marseille has lost its last four games and scored only three goals in the last five. Fans have called for club president Jacques-Henri Eyraud to leave.

On Friday, Lyon went top of the league thanks to an injury-time winner from defender Leo Dubois against Bordeaux.

SUNDAY’S GAMES

PSG sits one point behind Lyon and can guarantee reclaiming top spot with a win at 19th-place Lorient.

Lille, which is level on points with PSG but has a far worse goal difference, hosts another relegation battler in Dijon.

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino will be without midfielder Marco Verratti and central defender Abdou Diallo after both tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.

Pochettino’s assistant coach Miguel d’Agostino, who has been acting as Pochettino’s interpreter at news conferences, also misses the trip to Brittany because of COVID-19.

Pochettino tested positive for the virus two weeks ago but surprisingly returned one week later to coach the team against Montpellier.

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