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Ligue 1 Team Of The Week: Round 14

There may only have been nine encounters played in Le Championnat over the weekend, but that didn’t stop a number of players from impressing. Here’s Goal.com’s pick of the bunch…

Nov 23, 2009 10:02:45 AM

Ligue 1 : Victor Hugo Montano (Montpellier)

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Ligue 1 : Victor Hugo Montano (Montpellier)

Teams

FORMATION 4-4-2

Goalkeeper

Guy Ndy Assembe (Valenciennes): A terrific rearguard action from Valenciennes proved enough to stifle champions Bordeaux, but Philippe Montanier’s side have their goalkeeper to thank largely for that. The Cameroonian made several very fine saves, notably denying Wendel on a handful of occasions. Super performance from a young man really coming into focus this term.

Defence

Franco Sosa (Lorient): Les Merlus continue to bob about Ligue 1’s upper regions, and that they enjoyed a relatively comfortable afternoon on Sunday could be credited partially to their right-back. The Argentine defender has made a very smooth transition into French football since signing from Racing Club de Avellaneda in the summer and headed his side’s second against Saint-Etienne.

Sandy Paillot (Grenoble): At long last GF38 have a representative in the Team of the Week. After months of abject misery, things are slowly starting to look up for the Stade des Alpes club, who held Olympique Lyonnais to a 1-1 draw at the weekend. Les Gones failed to muster a shot on target until midway through the second period, and much of that was due to their former youth’s rugged defensive performance. More of the same is needed after a below-par start to the season on a personal level.

Gabriel Heinze (Olympique de Marseille): Much maligned at left-back, Didier Deschamps saw sense and moved the experienced Argentine back into the centre of defence for Friday night’s Clasico. Heinze excelled, making several decisive interventions in his own box as the threat of PSG's Mevlut Erding was stifled. Most notably he scored the winning goal, heading home a Fabrice Abriel free kick.

Reynald Lemaitre (Nancy): Signed from Caen in the summer, Lemaitre has wasted little time in establishing himself in Nancy’s side. On Saturday evening they may have produced a disappointing performance to crumble to a 2-1 loss to Lens, but the 26-year-old was one of the outstanding players on the field. Frequently raided down the left hand side of the park and delivered many a threatening ball into the box.

Midfield

Kamel Chafni (Auxerre): An outstanding showing from the French-born Moroccan international, who helped AJA to a 2-0 victory over Monaco, firing them up to first position in the league in the process. Effervescent on the flank, he injected a little flair into a tight match that needed some livening up from the middle of the field. When he was not dancing away from an opponent, he was using the ball intelligently. Has come to life in recent weeks.

Bruno Cheyrou (Stade Rennais): Not even considered a regular starter at the Breton club nowadays, Bruno has tended to be overshadowed by brother Benoit, who frequently impresses for Marseille. Cheyrou showcased his ability to find space in the middle of the field and then use the ball effectively as Rennes defeated Le Mans 2-1 on Saturday. Created several chances for team-mates, who were sadly profligate in front of goal.

Sebastien Roudet (Racing Club de Lens): Though his presence was not entirely evident in the first half, the former Valenciennes midfielder exploded into life in the second as Lens staged a late recovery to overcome Nancy. Playing in the hole, the 28-year-old was never afraid to try something out of the ordinary. A fine long range shot may have been beaten away, but his neat skill on the right touchline saw him slalom past two defenders to set up Kevin Monnet-Paquet’s winning goal.

Wendel (Girondins de Bordeaux): Enjoyed a titanic duel with Guy Ndy Assembe in the Valenciennes goal on Saturday. The Brazilian certainly did not come out on top as he was shut-out, but that shouldn’t prevent his contribution being overlooked. On an evening when his team were hopelessly flat, he provided a great deal of spark to give them hope of a draw. Most other goalkeepers would have conceded at least one to his unerring left boot.

Forwards

Victor Hugo Montano (Montpellier): A real devilish presence at the point of Montpellier’s offensive unit, a brace of goals from the Colombian saw la Paillade defeat Lille 2-0 on Sunday night. The burly frontman's efforts saw MHSC leap to fifth in Ligue 1, where they now trail leaders Bordeaux by only two points.

Mamadou Niang (Olympique de Marseille): The Senegalese player may not have scored during Friday night’s encounter against Paris Saint-Germain, but what a performance he put in. So consistent with his level of excellence, Niang continues to lead les Phoceens by example. He was denied a goal only by the fingertips of Gregory Coupet, who pushed his crackerjack of a long-range strike onto the junction of post and crossbar. Always a threat and deserved a goal.

Ndy Assembe

Sosa   Paillot   Heinze   Lemaitre

Chafni   Br. Cheyrou   Roudet   Wendel

Montano   Niang

Do you agree with this Team of the Week? Maybe you believe that more goal scorers deserve recognition for their efforts? Goal.com wants to know what you think…

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

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