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Following every round of Ligue 1 fixtures, Pulse Sports presents the most impressive performers of the matchday.
Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Marseille and Lens all won in Ligue 1 over the weekend, and the division’s top sides are likely to be unchanged in the closing weeks of the season.
Here are some of Round 32’s best performers.
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23:32 - 23.04.2023
Goal-crazy Habib Diallo reaches Ligue 1 milestones with Strasbourg
Senegalese forward Habib Diallo's goals against Reims put him in Strasbourg and Ligue 1's history books
Goalkeeper
Matz Sels (Strasbourg)
Sels had a strong showing in Strasbourg’s 2-0 success over Reims, making several saves to preserve his clean sheet.
The Belgian goalkeeper thwarted the home team no less than five times, and he was sharp off his line to claim loose balls for the relegation-threatened visitors, who moved out of the bottom four with that victory.
Defenders
Hamari Traore (Rennes)
Despite ending on the losing side in Rennes’ 1-0 loss at Montpellier, Traore gave a good account of himself at right-back.
The Malian made several crucial tackles throughout the match, won five of six ground duels and even posed problems in the attacking third whenever he pushed forward.
Rennes could have been level with fifth-placed Lille if they got maximum points.
Arthur Theate (Rennes)
Like Traore, Theate probably deserved better than to end on the losing side in Rennes’ loss at Montpellier.
The centre-back was pivotal to the visitors’ build-up play, and his teammates trusted him to be decisive in possession by making progressive passes throughout the match.
Theate also made 12 recoveries in the game.
Alexander Dijku (Strasbourg)
Despite seldom getting on the ball, Dijku produced a defensive showing deserving of a spot in this week’s team.
The Ghanaian won every tackle contested, won six duels from eight and put his body in the way of shots.
Strasbourg are not out of the woods — they moved out of the relegation zone on goal difference — but beating Reims was just what the doctor ordered.
Deiver Machado (Lens)
Machado was a menace bombing forward from his flank, and it was no surprise that the wide defender set up Lois Openda’s second after a direct run down the left.
The Colombian created four shooting opportunities for teammates before his 77th-minute withdrawal, won five of six ground duels and made 10 recoveries before going off.
Ismael Doukoure (Strasbourg)
The teenager’s performance in Strasbourg’s victory at Reims belied his youth as he ran the show in the middle of the park.
Doukoure won every ground duel (nine) and was only beaten to just one of three aerial duels whilst retaining a 100 percent success rate in his tackles.
He may have done little in possession, but the 19-year-old showed some potential at this level.
Pierre Lees-Melou (Brest)
Despite falling into the relegation zone following a goalless encounter at second-bottom Ajaccio, Lees-Melou was one of Brest’s top performers in the stalemate.
The Frenchman’s passing range meant he could vary his passing throughout the game, often finding players in advanced positions. Without the ball, he made 14 recoveries and won six of seven tackles.
Ludovic Blas (Nantes)
Nantes’ failure to win for the ninth game in succession sees them slide closer to the relegation positions, but Blas’s creativity from open play and set-pieces was commendable.
The wide attacker fashioned five chances in the game — assisting Nicolas Pallois’s opening goal — and never hid from taking on his marker.
Nantes are outside the bottom four on goal difference.
Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse)
Toulouse returned to winning ways with a 1-0 success at Lorient, and Aboukhlal was the match-winner, scoring with 22 minutes to play to seal a slender win.
The wide attacker’s directness was evident on the night, with six dribbles completed from eight attempts, and he was able to generate two chances before going off in the 79th minute.
The Moroccan has scored eight goals and set up five in 2022-23.
Forwards
Lois Openda (Lens)
Openda was the undoubted star of the show when Lens beat fourth-placed Monaco 3-0 to create some separation between both clubs.
The Belgian’s timing and positioning were crucial to his goals — taking him to 17 Ligue 1 goals for the season — and he set up Adrien Thomasson’s strike to seal the win.
Third-placed Lens moved five points clear of their opponents after the dominant victory.
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Paris Saint-Germain are nearly home and dry in the Ligue 1 title race, and Mbappe’s goals helped to seal a 2-1 success at cellar-dwelling Angers.
The superstar needed a couple of attempts to open the scoring, but the forward was sharp to latch on to a brilliant Lionel Messi pass and round Paul Bernardoni in the hosts’ goal before finishing with aplomb to take his league tally to 22 goals this term.
PSG holds an eight-point lead on Marseille with six games remaining.
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