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After a 4-0 win at the weekend, Lens dominate the Team of the Week with four players
Goalkeeper: Brice Samba Clermont vs (Lens)
Lens played a perfect game against Clermont and were excellent from front to back in the 4-0 win.
Even though the forwards will get most of the plaudits for the win, it is worth noting that Brice Samba played a magnificent game as well, keeping his team in the game with five saves and two crucial interventions late in the game to keep the clean sheet.
Centre-back: Youssouf Ndayishimiye Nantes vs (Nice)
Ndayishimiye scored a fabulous goal for Nice against Nantes and thought he had won the match for his team, only to have his heart broken by an even later goal.
Nevertheless, he showed a lot of quality during the game, with five clearances, a game-high 76 attempted passes, and 93% passing accuracy.
Centre-back: Jonathan Gradit Clermont vs (Lens)
Another solid display from one of the most consistent defenders in Ligue 1, Gradit, was again vital to how Lens defended and also how they built up from the back.
The 30-year-old Frenchman was disciplined in defence for Lens and even made a crucial goal-line clearance when his team were under pressure. In addition to this, he made the second-most passes in the entire game and was a great outlet for his teammates whenever they were in trouble.
Centre-back: Arthur Theate Auxerre vs (Rennes)
In a drab game between Auxerre and Rennes, there were few high points, and Arthur Theate was one of them.
The young Belgian had 145 touches, at least 47 more than any other player on the pitch. He also made 122 accurate passes, finishing the game with a pass accuracy of 93% despite playing the second-most long balls in the match.
Left-midfield: Angelo Fulgini Clermont vs (Lens)
Not the last Les player you will be seeing today, Fulgini, like his other teammates on the list, was superb for Lens in their 4-0 victory.
The former Angers man created four chances against Clermont and bagged an assist for Lens opening goal, which set them on the way to a superb win.
Centre-midfield: Jean-Eudes Aholou Marseille vs (Strasbourg)
Arguably the most shocking result of the game week came in Strasbourg’s 2-2 draw at the Velodrome against Marseille, and Ivorian midfielder Jean-Eudes Aholou was at the centre of it all, literally and figuratively.
He scored two late goals, one minute apart, to give Strasbourg a famous point against Marseille, breaking L’OM’s hearts with goals in the 88th and 89th minute to overturn a two-goal deficit and earn a point for his side.
Right-midfield: Gaetan Perrin (Auxerre) vs Rennes
Gaetan Perrin did all he could for Auxerre against Rennes in the 0-0 draw, creating chance after chance for his teammates, but unfortunately, they could not convert as the game ended in a 0-0 deadlock.
Perrin created a game-high five chances and should certainly have had an assist but for the wastefulness of Souleymane Isaak Touré, who missed the game’s best chance.
Attacking midfield: Lionel Messi Brest vs (PSG)
We once got a comment saying Lionel Messi should always be in the team of the week, and his performance against Brest showed exactly why.
Although Mbappe stole the headlines with a last-gasp winner, it is well worth noting that even that goal would not have been possible but for the Messi magic that produced the splendid assist leading up to it.
That was one of six chances created by Messi on the day, at least double any other player, and in another match, he could certainly have had more assists.
Centre-Forward: Luis Openda Clermont vs (Lens)
Without a doubt the best player of the week, Lens’ Luis Openda was phenomenal against Clermont, scoring a brilliant hat-trick within a five-minute blitz that lasted from the 30th to 35th minute of the 4-0 win.
In one of the finest individual showcases this season in Ligue 1, Openda secured all three points for his team as well as our player of the week title for himself.
Centre-Forward: Terem Moffi Nantes vs (Nice)
Nigerian forward Terem Moffi continued his incredible Ligue 1 form, finding his 15th goal of the season with a well-timed header against Nantes on Sunday.
He also assisted Nice’s second goal with a cool layoff for Ndayishimiye late on to bring his assist tally to two, both for Nice since his January move.
Centre-Forward: Jonathan David (Lille) vs Lyon
Another hat-trick hero, Lille’s Jonathan David found the back of the net three times against Lyon, in the process becoming the club’s highest goal-scorer in the 21st century.
Although his goals were not enough to earn all three points against Lyon in the 3-3 draw, it certainly marks a high point for him, with a superb individual record to boot.
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