Head Coach Rene Girard Jubilant As Montpellier Go Joint Top Of Ligue 1 With Lyon

Montpellier’s remarkable start to the Ligue 1 season continued on Saturday evening, when a 2-1 victory over Saint-Etienne carried them to first equal in France, tied alongside heavyweights Olympique Lyonnais. Unsurprisingly, head coach Rene Girard was elated with his team’s fairytale achievement.

After a scoreless first half that the home side had controlled, la Paillade restarted after the interval perfectly. Taking advantage of their numerical superiority – Yoann Andreu had been dismissed for a second yellow card in first half stoppage time – Karim Ait Fana and Souleymane Camara scored promptly to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. Though Gonzalo Bergessio pulled a goal back from the spot, MHSC were largely in control of the match, pleasing Girard.

Asked how it feels to be topping the table, the former France Under-21 coach explained, “I'm savouring it and I'm jubilant after this win. But it's not me that matters. The important thing is that the players are happy, people at the club are happy. The feeling is one of pure pleasure, but don't put us under pressure.”

Like so many newly promoted clubs, Montpellier are acutely aware that their bright early season form could quickly fade, and the coach is still targeting the 40 point mark, which is considered to be a safety point from relegation.

“With these 20 points, we're halfway to survival, and it's true we didn't expect to be so high up the table. Little by little, we'll no longer be the surprise package in the championship,” he concluded.

Montpellier’s next test is a trip to Stade Rennais, who have made a stuttering start to the Ligue 1 campaign. La Paillade take the spotlight in next Saturday’s showcase match.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com