Ligue 1 round-up: Bedimo stars as Lyon close in on Champions League berth

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  • Premier-league bound? There is plenty of interest in Lyon's attacking full-back Bedimo.

    Cameroon international Henri Bedimo (29) proved he is one to look out for in the summer transfer window as he helped Olympique Lyonnais overcome Bastia to keep his side's Champions League hopes alive on Sunday.

    One-league man Bedimo has spent his entire career in French Ligue 1, leaving his native Cameroon in 1999 at the tender age of 15 to ply his trade in Toulouse, Le Havre, Chateauroux, Lens, Montpellier and finally Lyon since last summer.

    Outstanding performances for a side that dominated the league from 2002 to 2008 have attracted the interest of numerous European sides.

    On Saturday against Bastia, he delivered his ninth assist of the season to help Bafetimbi Gomis score the opener in Lyon's 4-1 victory against Bastia.

    This win sees Olympique Lyonnais – Champions League semi-finalist in 2010 – retain distant hopes of landing  the fourth spot currently occupied by arch-rival AS Saint-Etienne which secures entry to the competition's playoffs.

    Mere Champions League qualification would have been perceived as a disappointment just a few years ago when Lyon ruled over Ligue 1, collecting seven straight league titles. However, mismanagement led to the side's progressive decay in parallel to newcomers PSG, and lately AS Monaco coming to the fore.

    Today, Lyon have to content themselves with an outsider status when they face their higher-ranked opponents who registered at least one win against them this season (Monaco in October, PSG in December, Saint-Etienne in March).

    The main reason for OL's demise was the side's constant failure to upgrade the squad. Karim Benzema, Eric Abidal, Florent Malouda, Mahamadou Diarra, Michael Essien left year after year only to be replaced by marginally worse players each time.

    The likes of Fabio Grosso, Mathieu Bodmer or Fred (now a full Brazil international) failed to maintain a team harmony which once had legendary France full-back Bixente Lizarazu call Olympique Lyonnais "the French Bayern Munich". 

    This season, Bedimo has emerged as the one exception to this general rule that witnessed Lyon cash in on its best players and replace them with more economically viable (and less technically proficient) alternatives year in, year out.

    His arrival from HSC Montpellier (where he collected the league title in 2012) for a paltry €2 million is one of the steals of the season in France, such was the full-back's impact on his left wing.

    Solid in defence, dynamic pushing forward, he has quickly become a stalwart for a side that boasts the third best attack in France behind PSG and Monaco.

    His bursts forward and pin-point deliveries from long range have long been on display; however the consistency he now has singles him out among his peers.

    There are indeed numerous talented left-backs in France : Monaco's Kurzawa, PSG's Digne, Lorient's Guerreiro or AS Saint Etienne's Tremoulinas may all claim to have reached higher heights than the Cameroon international this season.

    However, none can argue to have achieved the consistency with which he is putting out excellent performances every week. 

    These regular performances now see him targeted by several European sides.

    Back in January, he admitted his fascination for the English Premier League where his countryman (and competitor for the left-back slot with Cameroon) Benoit Assou-Ekotto plays.

    "The intensity of games, atmosphere in stadiums, desire to push forward really attract me," he said hinting he will not see out his contract tying him to Lyon until 2016.

    The World Cup is generally a good opportunity to witness under-the-radar players burst to the fore and earn their big move.

    In 2006, the brilliant Franck Ribery emerged with France. In 2010, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira grabbed the headlines with Germany. With his Cameroon side set to face Brazil in the group stage, who knows whether World Cup 2014 might not be Bedimo's time to shine.

    Elsewhere in Ligue 1…

    – PSG were meant to have sown up the league title by now and were supposed to be parading their success during the final few games of the season. However, their glorious run-in has been derailed for the second week running and they must wait to lift the Ligue 1 trophy. A disappointing draw at Sochaux (1-1) highlighted the lack of confidence of a side deprived of its natural leader Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and which has failed to impress since going out of the Champions League to Chelsea. 

    – After his incredible goal last week in the derby of the French Riviera against OGC Nice, Dimitar Berbatov scored a brace on Saturday against Corsican outfit Ajaccio. The Southern shores clearly appeal to the former Manchester United striker who now has five goals and one assist to his name since joining ASM as a stop-gap replacement for Falcao back in January.

     – One of the most entertaining coaches in world football looks set to join Ligue 1 as former Athletic manager Marcelo Bielsa is on the verge of agreeing a three-year deal with Olympique de Marseille. His tactical onus will be of great help to a side currently ranked sixth on the league table.

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