Racing Stay Top in France as Lille and Saint-Germain Set Up a Sunday Double-Header
Racing Club de France are still the team to beat in France. They went to Iris Lambersart on Saturday and won 5-1, and they stay top of the Élite Hommes with the first half of the grass season running down.
Victor Bance, Martin Campion with two, Achille Michaelis and Paul Barbier got the goals. Bruno Escartin-Puron replied for the hosts, but the game was never really in doubt. Racing have been the most consistent side in the league, and they keep finding goals from everywhere.
Saint-Germain are the ones keeping them honest. They won 4-3 away at Nantes, who sit second, in the game of the weekend. That’s a proper result, winning on the road against the team chasing you. Polo HCM won 3-1 away at FC Lyon, Lille beat Le Touquet 3-0, and CA Montrouge won 5-1 away at Stade Français. Nobody at the top is slipping up, which makes the run-in all the more interesting.
The women’s league is even tighter. Lille and Saint-Germain are still locked together at the top, and neither side has blinked. Lille beat Cambrai 3-0, with Violette Blanquart, Inès Lardeur and Jeanne Dagostino on the scoresheet. Saint-Germain matched them with a 3-0 win of their own against Wattignies, Mathilde Duffrene, Yohanna Lhopital and Gabrielle Verrier getting the goals. Polo HCM won 2-1 away at FC Lyon to keep themselves in the mix.
Sunday’s double-header
The weekend’s best fixture is on Sunday, and it’s a double bill. Polo HCM host Lille from 1:45pm CET, with the women’s game and the men’s game back to back at Polo. Two clubs, two leagues, one afternoon. The women’s game is the bigger one on paper, with Lille joint top and Polo chasing, but the men’s game matters too, with Polo looking to keep pace at the top end of the Élite Hommes.
For our money, the women’s title race is the story of the French season. Lille and Saint-Germain have matched each other result for result, and something has to give eventually. Sunday is Polo’s chance to be the side that makes it give.
The grass season’s first half is nearly done, and the indoor season follows. That makes these last few weekends count double. Points dropped now don’t come back.
Élite Hommes results, 7–8 November: Racing Club de France 5-1 Iris Lambersart; Saint-Germain 4-3 Nantes; Polo HCM 3-1 FC Lyon; Lille 3-0 Le Touquet; CA Montrouge 5-1 Stade Français.
Élite Dames results, 7–8 November: Lille 3-0 Cambrai; Saint-Germain 3-0 Wattignies; Polo HCM 2-1 FC Lyon.
Sunday 15 November, Polo HCM: Élite Dames and Hommes double-header, Polo HCM v Lille, from 1:45pm CET (5:45pm PKT).
