Sunday, April 11, 2021 at 10:56 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 23:03

Memphis Depay played a leading role in the match between Olympique Lyon and Angers on Sunday evening. The forward scored twice to lead his team to a 3-0 victory. Lyon, which had not won the previous three matches, is in fourth place in Ligue 1. AS Monaco won 3-0 against Dijon earlier in the evening, is third and has one point more than Lyon. The number three enters the preliminary round of the Champions League, while the number four qualifies for the group stage of the Europa League. Both clubs also have a view of the top two and qualification for the group stage of the Champions League.

Olympique Lyon – Angers 3-0
Lyon led 2-0 at half time, but the first serious chance was for Angers. Goalkeeper Anthony Lopes of Lyon parried a bet by Stéphane Bahoken with his foot in the seventeenth minute. Two minutes later, Depay prepared a chance from Maxwel Cornet; the steamy left back forced Paul Bernardoni to a low save. Then it was Depay himself who opened the score. After Lucas Paquetá hit the post from close range, the the Dutch forward worked into the rebound with a hard swipe. It was already Depay’s fifteenth league goal this season. Lopes prevented with a float dive that Angelo Fulgini quickly made it 1-1.

Seven minutes before half-time, a goal by Karl Toko Ekambi was disallowed for offside, but Paquetá made it 2-0 shortly afterwards. That goal was prepared by Ekambi: the winger steamed into the penalty area, passed his guard Ismaël Traoré and saw his cross diverted by Mateo Pavlovic, allowing Paqueta to finish from close range. Seven minutes before time, Depay determined the final score. The attacker was served by Paquetá and surprised the hatched keeper Bernardoni with a magnificent lob: 3-0. Lyon will therefore continue to participate for qualification for the Champions League.

AS Monaco – Dijon 3-0
The Monegasken were lord and master in the first act, but despite frantic attempts by Stevan Jovetic and Guillermo Maripan, among others, the teams went into halftime with a 0-0 score. The status quo would be broken by Monaco after the break. A foul by Bruno Ecuele Manga in the sixteen-meter area made referee Aurélien Petit decide to put the ball on the spot. Shortly after his raid, Wissam Ben Yedder missed the opportunity to open the score from eleven meters, as Saturnin Alagbé reacted promptly to the attempt. The final post, however, did not have the ball stuck, so Jovetic was able to score from the rebound: 1-0.

That was the gate of the dam. Fifteen minutes later, Aleksandr Golovin delivered a tailor-made thru ball to Ben Yedder, who beat Alagbé with a viewed pinball: 2-0. The final chord was also played by the striker. In the penultimate minute he got a second chance from the penalty spot and this time it was hit: 3-0. An unfortunate foul in the box by Fouad Chafik on Fodé Ballo-Touré preceded the penalty. It was the twelfth consecutive time that bottom of the league Dijon fell in Ligue 1.