Ligue 1

Mario Balotelli Is Still Really Good At Soccer

We were hoping for a successful Mario Balotelli tenure at Nice. Soccer is much more fun when Balotelli is good and scoring goals and not training with the reserves in Liverpool.

So, consider this us running a (very premature) victory lap, because Balotelli is killing it in France. He has played two games. He has scored four goals. Here is his most recent brace:

The Parallels Between Edinson Cavani And Fernando Torres Are A Bad Omen For The PSG Striker

Tuesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal yielded two story lines which have gone on to dominate this morning’s headlines. It’s just a matter of perspective: either David Ospina, selected to start over normal Arsenal No. 1 Petr Cech, earned Arsenal a point, or PSG striker Edinson Cavani squandered all three for the home side.

Hatem Ben Arfa Already Training Alone At PSG After Arsenal Snub

Having warded off interest from Barcelona and Sevilla to sign a rejuvenated Hatem Ben Arfa, Paris Saint-Germain appeared to be the perfect destination for the mercurial 29-year-old playmaker. Ben Arfa signed for PSG as a free agent after experiencing a renaissance last year with Nice, tallying 17 goals and six assists in Ligue 1.

This all, of course, followed a tumultuous four years in England where he was part footballing genius, part disinterested delinquent.

Edinson Cavani Cannot Escape The Shadow Of Zlatan Ibrahimovic

It’s the kind of scoreline out of France that we’d forgotten was even possible: Paris Saint-Germain, winners of Ligue 1 for four consecutive years now, were comprehensively beaten 3-1 by AS Monaco. It’s only the third match of the French league season, and it was Paris’ first loss, but the manner in which they succumbed to defeat was frighteningly sluggish.

Once again, Edinson Cavani struggled to impress in the limelight. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure to Manchester United has put Cavani in the position of having to effectively replace the Swede. It's not going well.

OGC Nice Release A Beautiful, Touching Kit In Remembrance Of Bastille Day Victims

The devastating attack on Nice, France that resulted in the tragic loss of 85 people is still being painfully processed in the country’s fifth most populous city. Local club OGC Nice have now released a beautiful, touching kit paying homage to those victims whose lives were appallingly cut short on France's Bastille Day.

The Ligue 1 club released the following image of the shirt through their official Twitter page:

This Double Step Over Was So Brutal That The Ref Was Forced To Intervene

It doesn’t get anymore ridiculous than this. Stephane Sessegnon, a Benin international currently without a club, was at his brilliant best as a winger during his time with Paris Saint-Germain from 2008-2011. Coming up against Sporting Lisbon, he demonstrated just how brutal he could be on the outside.

When we use euphemisms like “broke his ankles” or “ruined the defender” as journalists, we’re usually delving into sensational hyperbole. The reality of the video is nowhere near the description.

Jeremy Menez’s First Match For Bordeaux Resulted In His Ear Being Torn Off

As far as debuts go, this is about as bad as it can get. We’re sure Jeremy Menez would’ve rather been sent off or scored an own goal in his Bordeaux bow, but he’s lost an ear. 

The 29-year-old transferred from AC Milan to Bordeaux, in his native France, and made his debut for the club against Lorient. Lorient midfielder Didier Ndong promptly asserted himself as the Mike Tyson to Menez’s Evander Holyfield, stepping on his head and tearing his ear off.

This is not a pretty sight.

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