EXCLUSIVE: Following the successful launch of Thunderbolts*, director Jake Schreier might already have his sights set on the next big Marvel Studios project, as sources tell Deadline he is in early talks to direct the studio’s new X-Men movie.
It is unknown where things stand in the dealmaking process, but insiders say that, following a meeting this past week, Schreier looks to be the top choice to take on one of the studio’s most anticipated projects. Michael Lesslie penned the script with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige producing.
Marvel Studios had no comment.
RELATED: ‘Thunderbolts*’ Review: Marvel’s Fun 2.O Supporting Superheroes Launch Is Sort Of A Discount Avengers Startgame
The studio has been taking its time in finding the right person to take over directing duties and has made it clear it doesn’t want to rush the process — similar to how it handled pitches from potential writing candidates last year. After months of meetings, momentum started to favor Schreier when early reactions to Thunderbolts* began to trickle out about a return to form for Marvel Studios. The film opened to with impressive $162 million global take as well as some of the best reviews in years for Marvel.
Marvel and Schreier had an incredible experience working together on Thunderbolts*, a film that has since won over critics and fans becoming Marvel’s best reviewed film since Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021. While that recent meeting sealed the deal, Marvel execs were well aware how much Schreier loved the X-Men comics, an early sign that he would ultimately get one of the those meetings to pitch his vision of what a new X-Men movie would look like.
Even before the reactions began to come out about how impressive Thunderbolts* was, studios already were trying to get in business with the director. But sources say in recent days he has begun turning down jobs as all signs were pointing to him landing one of the coveted directing openings in town.
It’s hardly a surprise that Marvel would stay in-house for this film, given how often it has rewarded directors with big assignments following the success of previous jobs. The Russo brothers wound up helming Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame after directing their hit Captain America sequels, and most recently Matt Shakman was given the directing reins on The Fantastic Four: First Steps after helping launch WandaVision, the first Marvel Studios TV series for Disney+.
RELATED: The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Box Office
This latest development is sure to excite fans of the franchise who have been begging for a newmovie since Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its library in 2019. The X-Men universe was by far the most popular and profitable Marvel IP that Fox controlled, with seven films and a successful Wolverine spinoff franchise that produced three more. After the disappointing release of Dark Phoenix in 2019, however, X-Men has been in need of a makeover.
This news also comes following the massive success of Marvel’s animated series X-Men ’97, which not only was a big ratings hit on Disney+ but also earned some of the best reviews for any Marvel property in years. Following the series’ recent season finale, it is clear the property still is highly valuable to the studio. Marvel also got a taste of X-Men success when Deadpool And Wolverine became the biggest live-action film of 2024, grossing more then a billion dollars at the global box-office.
Schreier is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — There is optimism that all three of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ injured star players, including All-Star guard Darius Garland, who has missed the last four games, will try to play Game 3 Friday against the Indiana Pacers, two league sources told The Athletic.
“I don’t think he has a choice,” one league source who is close to the Cavs said of Garland, who hasn’t played since Game 2 of the first round.
Cleveland, the No. 1 seed in the East, trails 0-2 in this series after suffering a crushing 120-119 loss at home Tuesday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Garland (sprained big toe), NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley (sprained ankle) and De’Andre Hunter (sprained thumb) all missed the game after being listed “questionable” with their ailments.
The Cavs held a walk-through Thursday before leaving for Indianapolis, and coach Kenny Atkinson said all three players “touched the ball” during the workout — which means they were all participants. All will still be listed “questionable” on the team’s injury report ahead of Game 3.
“They participated in the walk-through and we’re hoping for the best,” Atkinson said. “I think it’s frustrating for all of us, right? It’s no indictment on anybody, it’s just, injuries are a tough thing and you don’t really know unless you experience it yourself.”
Trying to play and being able to play effectively are not one and the same. A league source with knowledge of the Cavs’ workout Thursday said the swelling on Hunter’s injured thumb has subsided, whereas Mobley and Garland were moving as though they’re trying to play through lower leg injuries.
Hunter suffered his injury falling out of the sky on a dunk attempt in the fourth quarter of Game 1. Mobley, like Hunter, was hurt in the fourth quarter of that game on a play in which Cleveland demanded a foul call and didn’t get it. Garland re-aggravated an old injury at the end of the second game of a four-game sweep of the Heat.
The Cleveland fan base is indeed frustrated by the players’ absences because of similar circumstances that have plagued this team (and its fans) the last two years. Local radio talk shows were inundated with calls this week, and the Cavs’ players were criticized by national TV commentators for sitting out while being listed as “questionable” on the injury report.
This is the second consecutive postseason in which a key player has missed multiple playoff games for weeks while being considered “questionable.” Jarrett Allen missed eight in a row last postseason with a painful rib injury that was described only as a “bruise” on those injury reports. Allen was eventually criticized by teammates and coaches who thought he could do more to play.
League sources said, and Atkinson confirmed, that all three of the Cavs, Garland included, “desperately” want to play. Not putting words in the coach’s mouth, because he didn’t say this part, but if the players are hungry to be on the court during these crucial games but are not even in uniform, they may be hurt worse than a “questionable” designation suggests.
It is a team’s right to engage in such gamesmanship with the injury report, perhaps in an attempt to keep the opponent guessing, but the Cavs’ record over the last two conference semifinals is 1-6. Teams can also be immediately clear with a player’s designation. For instance, ahead of Game 2 of a Western Conference semifinal between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors listed Stephen Curry as “out” with a hamstring strain, and Gary Payton II as “available” with an illness. The Timberwolves said Robert Dillingham was “out” with an ankle sprain.
Additionally, Curry spoke to reporters Thursday, even though he is out, and explained his injury status (and how he’s feeling about it) to fans. Players are not required to speak to the media if they are out with injuries; Cleveland fans have not heard from Garland in more than two weeks.
On Thursday, Atkinson suggested Garland’s absence was a matter of pain tolerance, though the player also consults with the team’s medical staff when making his determination.
“He’s got to figure it out and I support him 100 percent, whichever way it goes,” Atkinson said of Garland, though what he said could easily describe how he feels about Hunter and Mobley, too. “He’s probably thinking, ‘I gotta get to a certain point where I can compete at a high intensity, playoff level. That’s the hard thing for us … we really can’t simulate that (at practice).
“You have to talk with the trainers, you have to talk to the doctor, and then only you can make the call,” Atkinson continued. “That’s kind of where (Garland) is.”
Atkinson also said that Donovan Mitchell, who confirmed he played through a calf strain in Game 2 (and scored 48 points), would not be on the Cavs’ injury report for Game 3.
Cleveland is the eighth team in NBA history to open a regular season with at least 12 consecutive wins. Five of the first seven teams to do that reached the NBA Finals in that season.
The Cavs have some work to do to make it six out of eight, and they are also trying to become the sixth team in league history to lose the first two games of a playoff series at home and go on to win the series. The defending champion Boston Celtics are in the same boat, trailing the Knicks 0-2 in the other Eastern semifinal.
There is, of course, no correlation between what happens in the Celtics’ series with the outcome of the Cavs-Pacers series. Cleveland getting its players back, however, just might have an impact.
(Top photo of Kenny Atkinson: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
There were no bad potential matchups for OU softball in the semifinal. Between Arkansas and Tennessee, there were storylines galore.
One swing by an unexpected source for the Razorbacks will give them another shot at the Sooners in Athens, Ga.
Arkansas’ Raigan Kramer hit a two-out grand slam in the top of the seventh to lift the Razorbacks to a 6-1 victory against the fourth-seeded Vols.
That marked back-to-back days of Arkansas hitting a grand slam in the seventh inning. Probable National Player of the Year Bri Ellis did the same, with a walk-off grand slam Wednesday.
Now? Arkansas will look to get a little payback against the Sooners. OU went into Fayetteville nearly two months ago and broke out the brooms in a three-game sweep.
Round 4 between the two is set for 3 p.m. Friday on ESPN2 in the SEC semifinals.
Since then? Arkansas has not lost a series. Not one. The Razorbacks are 20-6 since that moment and earned the No. 1 spot for Softball America entering this week.
OU was 26-0 overall after that sweep. The Sooners, the SEC regular season champions, are now 43-7 overall.
OU got itself going in a 4-1 victory against LSU earlier Thursday afternoon.
“We had good practices, knowing we didn’t want to come here and just turn around and go back home,” said head coach Patty Gasso to SEC Network.
Ace pitcher Sam Landry allowed just one hit and struck out seven in earning another complete game. She is now 19-4 this season.
Senior Cydney Sanders had a two-run home run and drove in three runs.
Is it Deal?
The SEC Network broadcast mentioned Gasso considered going with Kierston Deal to begin things against the Tigers.
Well, if you expect her to get the nod Friday against Arkansas, it wasn’t two of her better outings of the season in Fayetteville.
Deal started Game 2 of a doubleheader on a Saturday and came in relief Sunday.
Deal threw four innings, giving up five hits and four runs with four walks and five strikeouts as a starter. Then in relief, Deal gave up four runs in just 2.2 innings.
So although Arkansas would love to get one back on OU, you know Deal is feeling the same way when it comes to the Razorbacks.
The former senator turned leader of the Rebel Alliance, Mon Mothma, has quite the pivotal role in all of Star Wars. She may not be trained in the Force, nor is she the offspring of Jedi legends. But if she weren’t an influential politician who cofounded the Rebellion, there would be no force for good to defeat evil. And after her stirring speech about upholding truth in the face of propaganda, she’s easily one of the best characters in Andor. But did you know: Actress Genevieve O’Reilly actually played her 20 years ago, in Revenge of the Sith.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: We know Mon Mothma was first seen in Return of the Jedi, played by Caroline Blakiston. The (ironically) iconic line “Many Bothans died to bring us this information” was delivered by Blakiston. So before anyone in the comments tries to get smart with me, I’m not saying Mon Mothma is a Revenge of the Sith character—she’s been in this saga since long before that.
But when George Lucas embarked on the prequels, he strove to elevate Mon Mothma’s significance. His opportunity came in Revenge of the Sith, with Australian actress Genevieve O’Reilly cast for the role. This time, Lucas gave Mon Mothma more to say than lip service to the Bothans. In her scenes, Mon Mothma appears with Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits), Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), and other senators who meet in secret. The politicians share concerns about the waning Republic and the rise of Palpatine’s Empire. They begin planting the seeds of what would become the Rebel Alliance.
Says O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma: “We are not Separatists trying to leave the Republic. We are loyalists trying to preserve democracy in the Republic.”
Unfortunately, all of O’Reilly’s speaking parts in the film were ultimately cut, and O’Reilly was reduced to a nonspeaking appearance. In a 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly, O’Reilly expressed no hard feelings about her smaller part and that George Lucas and producer Rick McCallum informed her ahead of time that her appearance was minimal. She supported their reasoning, which is that the movie was slowing down with her scenes and that the focus on Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader took priority.
“They’re such pros, they wrote to me and told me, so I knew way before,” O’Reilly said. “And they were so beautiful about that and kind to me as a very young actor. And it made complete sense to me, because of course it was all about Darth Vader becoming Darth Vader. Cinema has to have a singular focus for it to drive, you know? Cinema doesn’t have a lot of time to tell the story. So I respected their decision, and when I watched it, it made total sense.”
In 2016, O’Reilly finally appeared in a speaking capacity for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. But Andor has been O’Reilly’s real stage to shine—her Mon Mothma is fleshed out with inner conflict and complexity. Though Mon Mothma dreams of a democratically elected Republic, she is anxious about the prices she must pay for a better future for all. She’s doomed her daughter to a loveless marriage and sacrificed her friends like lambs to the slaughter; Mon Mothma has truly given everything to the Rebellion. Not all heroes have lightsabers.
It’s wedding day for Kentucky guard Collin Chandler and his longtime girlfriend, Hannah. The happy couple got engaged on Kentucky’s trip to New York City for the Champions Classic back in December, when Collin took a knee in Central Park on the team’s free day in the Big Apple.
Today, May 8, 2025, Collin and Hannah will tie the knot back home in Utah after a four-and-a-half-month engagement, officially becoming Mr. and Mrs. Collin Chandler. The 21-year-old college sophomore and his bride shared some of their wedding photos on social media on Thursday morning:
Congratulations to the Chandlers!
(Photo via Instagram/@collinxchandler)(Photo via Instagram/@collinxchandler)
In 2017, new ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro vowed to depoliticize the ESPN brand. Quite frankly, the company has dropped the ball. The political hypocrisy inside the company is staggering.
And now, ESPN has invited back the most politically toxic commentator in its history.
On Thursday, Jemele Hill will make her return to ESPN as part of the farewell tour for “Around the Horn.” The network has released several promos in advance:
ESPN says Hill is only appearing one time to celebrate the show’s legacy. Sure, but including her directly undermines Pitaro’s mission and re-emphasizes the perception of a liberal bias.
Jemele Hill isn’t known as a former sports reporter anymore. She is known as a far-left racial propagandist. Her brand isn’t just political, it’s toxic.
A week before the election, she called white men the “worse [sic] thing in America.” She then argued that American people should “not trust white women” like they should black women.
Is that so?
Hill recently condemned the Los Angeles Dodgers for visiting the White House and falsely accused Donald Trump of trying to bring back segregation. She called the current sitting president a “white supremacist” and Elon Musk the “Nazi-in-Chief.”
The list goes on and on. Heck, she recently accused ESPN of canceling her show in an attempt to “de-blackify” the company. Yet ESPN invited her back to its airwaves? (Her show was canceled because of bad ratings. Bomani Jones-level bad.)
Moreover, Hill is not synonymous with the history of “Around the Horn.” She was neither an original member nor one of its most popular panelists. ESPN didn’t need to include her.
Even if Hill sticks to sports on “Around the Horn,” the association with her is damning. She is a cancer. She has built an entire career around anti-white racism and faux racial hysteria.
Plus, sports fans agree. Nearly every project Hill has undertaken since leaving ESPN has failed–from her television show on Vice to her show on truTV, from her memoir to her podcast.
She’s a wannabe Joy Reid, whom even MSNBC viewed as too destructive.
Imagine the reaction if ESPN brought Jason Whitlock (a Christian conservative) or Will Cain (a supporter of Donald Trump) back for an episode of “PTI” or “First Take?”
And therein lies the hypocrisy.
Jimmy Pitrao contradicted his own promise to employees, shareholders, and consumers by allowing Jemele back on air. He deserves criticism for that.
O Instituto Estadual de Educação João Neves da Fontoura recebeu nesta quarta-feira, 7 de maio, o primeiro kit de robótica Secretaria da Educação do Rio Grande do Sul (SEDUC), na 24ª Coordenadoria Regional de Educação (24ª CRE), por ter tido o projeto coordenado pela Professora Letícia Kiefer Cardoso escolhido para o Hackatchê Robotics 2025. Apenas cinco coordenadorias estaduais tiveram projetos escolhidos (1ª, 20ª, 24ª, 28ª e 36ª).
A entrega do kit pertence à fase final do projeto, que será desenvolvido em duas etapas e culminará na apresentação dos trabalhos durante o Gramado Summit, nos dias 05 e 06 de junho de 2025.
Na etapa 1 as equipes recebem um guia orientador com informações sobre o tema da competição, critérios de avaliação, uso do kit explorador Uno e estrutura da pontuação. Essa etapa visa preparar as equipes para a construção das soluções que serão apresentadas na competição.
A etapa 2 será o “Desafio na Arena”, que será realizado presencialmente durante o evento e contará com a divulgação de um segundo guia orientador com instruções detalhadas sobre o desafio a ser enfrentado no espaço físico da Arena. Esse conteúdo será disponibilizado em data posterior, antes do evento.
Todas as ações previstas nessa etapa final serão acompanhadas por um cronograma específico e apoiadas por materiais fornecidos pela SEDUC e entregues pelas CREs escolhidas.
Para acesso às informações referentes a primeira etapa as equipes deverão acessar o link
By the age of 16, though, he was lining up against his idol in Turin. At 17, meanwhile, he was coming on for Buffon to make his Italy debut. Comparisons between the two were, thus, inevitable. But also justified. They didn’t just share a first name, after all; they also shared the same prodigious physical and mental attributes. In fact, Buffon even felt that Donnarumma was the more mature of the two at the same age.
“I was completely different!” the veteran admitted in 2016. “He’s a great lad, very calm, thoughtful, intelligent and has extraordinary qualities. He has everything to make history in the role. We’ll just have to wait 20 years to make conclusions.”
While we still have more than a decade to go, it’s safe to say that Donnarumma hasn’t yet attained his mentor’s remarkable level of consistency. However, the Paris Saint-Germain No.1 is proving in this season’s Champions League that he still has the requisite talent and temperament to emulate Buffon by becoming the greatest goalkeeper of his generation…
Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. defended his mental acuity during an interview on Thursday and blamed sexism, the coronavirus pandemic and his struggle to provide Americans with short-term results for President Trump’s return to power.
Mr. Biden’s interview on ABC’s “The View” was his first on American television since his presidential term ended in January. His public re-emergence — he also sat for a BBC interview that aired Wednesday — comes before the imminent release of books expected to be critical of his sharpness and his ability to have sought re-election last year.
“They are wrong,” Mr. Biden said of reports that he had declined in his final year in office. “There’s nothing to sustain that.” He later added: “The only reason I got out of the race is because I didn’t want to have a divided Democratic Party.”
Mr. Biden said that while Democratic leaders and donors wanted him to drop out after his poor debate performance in June, the party’s rank and file did not — an assertion that runs counter to polling both before and after the debate.
“The Democratic Party at large didn’t buy into it,” he said of the push for him to quit the race. “But the Democratic leadership and some of the very significant contributors did.”
As Mr. Biden sits for interviews, his party is not exactly longing for his presence as it tries to fight Mr. Trump’s attempts to dismantle large parts of the federal government and the international alliances of which Mr. Biden remains proud. A host of ambitious Democrats vying for influence ahead of the 2028 presidential primary race have been discussing ways to cast the party in a new light.
None of them have been particularly eager to revisit Mr. Biden’s decision to seek re-election or to explore why former Vice President Kamala Harris was unable to defeat Mr. Trump. Mr. Biden, however, offered thoughts on both subjects.
He said that he “wasn’t surprised” that Ms. Harris had lost and that she had fallen victim to sexist attacks.
“They went the route of the sexist route,” Mr. Biden said of the Trump campaign and other Republicans. “I’ve never seen quite as successful and a consistent campaign undercutting the notion that a woman couldn’t lead the country, and a woman of mixed race.”
Mr. Biden also said a pandemic hangover had altered Americans’ relationship with their government in a way that was not fully appreciated during the presidential campaign.
“I think we underestimate the phenomenal negative impact that Covid had and the pandemic had on people, on attitudes, on optimism, on a whole range of things,” he said.
He acknowledged that his White House had not done an adequate job of delivering immediate results and had instead focused on longer-term projects like his infrastructure and computer chip legislation.
“Well, we made a lot of commitments and we — you know, billion-dollar tunnels going through for Amtrak, bridges, so on, but we weren’t quite as good as he was about advertising it,” Mr. Biden said, referring to Mr. Trump’s constant sales pitch. “It doesn’t say, ‘Biden brought you this.’ There’s nothing saying, ‘The Democrats brought you this.’ And we knew none of this would occur for another six months to two years. It takes time to do all that.”
Mr. Biden dodged a question about whether he would have defeated Mr. Trump had the former president not abandoned his campaign last July. But he did accept some responsibility for Ms. Harris’s loss.
“Yes. I do, because, look, I was in charge and he won,” Mr. Biden said. “So, you know, I take responsibility.”
While Mr. Biden offered a somewhat familiar defense of his legacy and his ability to serve as president, his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, offered more aggressive pushback. Joining him in the interview, she attacked journalists who have written books about Mr. Biden and others who have said he was a diminished figure as his White House term concluded. She also denied reporting suggesting that she had been overprotective of him.
“The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us,” she said. “I was with Joe day and night. I saw him more than any other person. I went — woke up with him, I went to bed at night with him. So I saw him all throughout the day, and I did not create a cocoon around him.”
If man-of-the-match trophies were chosen by the PSG squad, Gianluigi Donnarumma would have picked up three of them from his past three performances in England. The Italian goalkeeper has had the biggest hand – or glove – in almost taking the club to the Champions League final and his contributions against Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.
His saves in the penalty shootout at Anfield helped PSG overcome Liverpool, earning him the man-of-the-match award. He did not receive the trophy for his performance at Villa Park, despite big saves from Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.
“It was Gigi who was the man of the match,” said a bewildered Ousmane Dembélé as he was handed the award. “He saved us with his incredible saves. He was decisive in every important moment.”
A finger-tip save from Leandro Trossard and a great stop to deny Gabriel Martinelli helped PSG keep a clean sheet at the Emirates last week. On that occasion, Vitinha was given the award before writing on social media that Donnarumma was “the real MVP”.
So often the man found wanting on big European nights – memorably at the Bernabéu in 2022, when he made a mistake in the defeat by Real Madrid in the last 16 – Donnarumma is now driving PSG towards the Champions League trophy, still perceived as the holy grail by the club’s owners and his performances have come at an opportune time for his career.
When he arrived at PSG on a free transfer from Milan in the summer of 2021, Donnarumma was thrust into a “difficult situation”, in competition with Keylor Navas for the No 1 jersey. Mauricio Pochettino chopped and changed between the two keepers.
Towards the end of Donnarumma’s first season, they recognised the situation was unsustainable. “It has to change,” said Navas. Donnarumma agreed, saying: “We have an excellent relationship but it isn’t easy to live with, for him or for me. Things surely must change.”
And they did. “A choice had to be made: it was either him or me,” said the Italian after Navas was demoted and then loaned to Nottingham Forest. In Christophe Galtier’s only season at PSG, Donnarumma was the undisputed No 1 and that remained the case in Luis Enrique’s first season. However, the goalkeeper’s shortcomings with the ball at his feet and his questionable aerial presence meant old doubts re-emerged last summer.
Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two of Liverpool’s three penalties in their shootout in the last 16. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA
Those doubts led to the recruitment of Matvey Safonov for the not inconsiderable fee of €20m.
He arrived in bullish mood. “Luís Campos [PSG’s sporting director] never said I was No 2. I don’t see myself as a No 2,” said the Russia international. “I don’t want to be a substitute.
“If they make me a No 2, things won’t be easy for the No 1. I have never lost a competition. I have always been the No 1 goalkeeper. Maybe they don’t have the intention of making me No 1 straight away, but I believe I will become that.”
Safonov, who has since stressed that he has a strong relationship with the other goalkeepers at the club, has not displaced Donnarumma, but he has nonetheless made 16 appearances. PSG were also linked with a move for the Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, seen as the future for the France national team, and therefore fitting in with Les Parisiens’ new strategy of signing homegrown talents.
However, there is now optimism Donnarumma will sign a new contract. As stated by the player and his agent, an extended stay at the Parc des Princes is the priority. For a long time, it was uncertain whether that was also the club’s priority but, in this make-or-break season, it seems he has sufficiently convinced the hierarchy.
There is still a trade-off with Donnarumma, despite his undoubted shot-stopping abilities. Luis Enrique gave a stern “no comment” when asked a fair question about the goalkeeper’s aerial presence – or lack thereof – before the game at Villa Park.
He had just one word to describe Donnarumma’s performance after the match: “Sen-sa-tion-nelle”. It was the PSG manager’s only word in French during the whole press conference. It is one that doesn’t need translating, but it is one that applies to all of Donnarumma’s performances on English soil in this Champions League knockout phase.
Those performances could yet prove decisive in PSG’s quest to win the prestigious and elusive European crown. Two games remain for Donnarumma’s redemption arc to be complete.
Talking points
Ousmane Dembélé returned to training on Monday to give PSG a timely boost before their second leg against Arsenal. The France international, who scored the only goal in the first leg, had been a concern after picking up a muscle injury at the Emirates. However, he took part in a squad session and is expected to be available for the match at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
Quick Guide
Ligue 1 results
Show
Nantes 0-1 Angers
Auxerre 1-2 Le Havre
Brest 1-0 Montpellier
Lyon 1-2 Lens
Lille 1-1 Marseille
Strasbourg 2-1 PSG
Toulouse 2-1 Rennes
Saint-Étienne 1-3 Monaco
Nice 1-0 Reims
PSG’s lack of interest in the remainder of the Ligue 1 season was once again evident against Strasbourg. Luis Enrique made 10 changes to the team that beat Arsenal at the Emirates in midweek, with only João Neves keeping his place in a side that had an average age of just 21. Unlike PSG, Strasbourg do have something to play for, and it showed. Lucas Hernández scored an own goal as PSG conceded their seventh goal from a corner this season before a sublime effort from Félix Lemarechal doubled Strasbourg’s lead on the stroke of half-time. Bradley Barcola netted within 40 seconds of the restart, but despite Désiré Doué coming of the bench – to face his brother Guéla – Luis Enrique’s side could not find an equaliser. The result means that PSG’s 39-game unbeaten run away from home in Ligue 1 comes to an end. Luis Enrique did not seem too worried. Titles, not records, are his priority.
The win means that Strasbourg remain in a congested pack behind PSG. Only two points separate Marseille in second from Strasbourg in sixth. Monaco and Nice, third and fourth, both got important wins, while Marseille drew with fifth-placed Lille. The big losers of the weekend were Lyon, who are now three points behind Strasbourg after a 2-1 loss to Lens. Paulo Fonseca’s side were dominant in the game but wasteful, and the defeat could have grave consequences. Lyon had counted on Champions League qualification to ease the dire financial situation at the club, which led the DNCG to provisionally relegate Lyon earlier this season. The Champions League may now be beyond them, and the consequences of that failure could be severe.
Their local rivals, Saint-Étienne, look increasingly likely to make a swift return to Ligue 2. Their defeat to Monaco was compounded by a last-gasp win for Le Havre, who are now four points above Sainté and in the relegation playoff spot. Les Verts were without forward Lucas Stassin this weekend and they may miss him until the end of the season. Without him, it is difficult to see where the goals will come from. Reims, defeated by Nice, as well as Angers and Nantes, all remain in danger of the drop.
