Olivier Giroud hat trick sends Montpellier on top – Ligue 1 news
France international Olivier Giroud scored three goals in Montpellier’s 3-1 win over FC Sochaux Montbéliard in Week 15 of the 2011/2012 Championelle as Alain Casanova’s side went on top of the Ligue 1 standings.
The Frenchman scored two goals in the 86th and 88th minute to send Montpellier three points clear of Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 standings.
Moroccan international Younes Belhanda was in amazing form for the visitors at the Stade Auguste Bonal.
Last week, Montpellier beat http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-de-Marseille-c40127 1-0 at home to go level on points with PSG at the top of the Ligue 1 standings. On that same day, PSG had shockingly lost 1-0 to lowly Nancy Lorraine at the Parc des Princes.
After a terrible mix-up in the Sochaux defence, Nigerian international http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Teddy-Richert-c34753. However Olivier Giroud was not going to take any chances and prodded the ball beyond the goal line to give the visitors
a well-deserved lead.
Les Lionceaux reacted strongly to having conceded a goal but were unable to go past a solid Montpellier defence. La Paillade were able to calm things down and were willing to hit Sochaux on the break.
Some tough defending from Montpellier gave http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Camara-c8277 pounced on a free ball to level the scoring in the 84th minute.
The timing of the goal left many thinking that the game would end with both sides getting a point but it was not to be.
There was a reason why http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899 national team coach Laurent Blanc had been keeping a keen eye on the progress of Olivier Giroud. The striker first hammered an unstoppable shot beyond Richert to give his side the lead once again and then paired up excellently
with an ever-lively Belhanda before completing his first hat trick of the season.
The loss means that Sochaux stay in 11th place in the Ligue 1 standings while Montpellier are on top of the standings after their 10th win of the campaign.
The result means that Montpellier will stay at top of the standings until Sunday when PSG play against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome where a draw would certainly be considered a good result for Montpellier’s chances of staying at the top of the pile.
Tags: