Yet led, Saint-Etienne managed to overthrow Rennes (2-1) this Thursday during the second semi-final of the Coupe de France. Thirty-eight years later, the Greens, who eliminated the defending champion, made their way to the final of the event, where they met Paris Saint-Germain on April 25.
Boudebouz scored the winning goal for Saint-Etienne.
Thirty-eight years after its last final, Saint-Etienne will find its executioner of 1982, Paris Saint-Germain. Indeed, the outcome of an undefined semi-final, and after having been lying, the Greens managed to release the defending champion, Rennes (2-1), this Thursday.
While the season has so far been very painful, the club from Saint-Etienne is offering itself a beautiful ray of hope and will have the opportunity, on April 25, to achieve a huge hit against the most title team in the history of the ‘proof.
Kolodziejczak replies Niang
Rather their technical advantage in the first minutes, the Rennais quickly suffered enemy assaults. Cabaye, on a free kick, then on a piqu balloon pushed back in extremis by Da Silva, and Diony, gave Mendy chills. Opportunities that pushed visitors to pass the second and make the difference. On a devastating dribble, Raphinha pushed Saliba the fault and left Niang free to transform his penalty into strength (0-1, 33rd).
Despite this blow, the Cauldron continued to push his favorites. But with confidence at its lowest and facing a coherent Breton team which waited low to explode on the contrary, the task was complicated very seriously. Julien Stphan’s men, well established, were more and more aggressive in their interventions. That did not prevent Kolodziejczak, quicker than N’Zonzi, to whack with a little academic head in the little net (1-1, 43rd).
Boudebouz libre le Chaudron
As the rain intensified in the second period, the two teams struggled to be dangerous again. Apart from a center fleeing from the goal of Moulin and a not enough powerful free kick from Bouanga, there was not much to get their teeth into. If the Greens were not saving and sticking their tongue out from the hour of play, the Rennais, them, rose in power and played higher and higher.
Not enough to make the difference. But while Mendy and Traor saved their side in extra time on opportunities from Debuchy and Abi, Boudebouz, who entered a few minutes earlier, definitively freed Geoffroy-Guichard (2-1, 90th + 4). Saint-Etienne eliminates the title holder and goes to the final to face Paris Saint-Germain!
The match score: 6/10
A rather lively match overall. Under a sometimes pouring rain, the two teams did not spare themselves to put rhythm and try to make the difference quickly. Even if everything was not perfect, with a second period that was fairly technically average, the growing indecision made the match interesting to follow. And what a finish, with the thousands of Saint-Etienne supporters who invaded the lawn!
The goals :
– Served in the surface of a beautiful Niang heel, Raphinha covers Saliba with a devastating pass of the legs. Penalty for Rennes, transformed by Niang with an overpowered shot under the bar, full axis (0-1, 33rd).
– On the left side, Diony is not attacked by Traor. The Saint-Etienne striker takes advantage of the lax marking of the right side of Rennes to center at the first post, where Kolodziejczak ahead of N’Zonzi to place a head that is not very academic to find Mendy’s small left net (1-1, 43rd).
– Saliba creates a superb vertical opening towards Boudebouz, which is supported by Bouanga. The Algerian, in an ideal position between the surface, deceives Mendy with a surgical strike flush with the post (2-1, 90th + 4).
Player NOTES
Maxifoot has given a rating (out of 10) to each player.
Man of the Match: William Saliba (7.5 / 10)
The central defender had a tough game. Especially since he recovered well after conceding a penalty for a foul on Raphinha. Le Vert has won most of its duels with sometimes disconcerting ease. Better yet, it is he who breaks all the lines of Rennes on his magnificent vertical pass on the goal of Boudebouz! What a mind!
ST ETIENNE :
Jessy Moulin (5): the substitute goalkeeper of Ruffier will ultimately have had almost nothing to do. On the penalty, he was beaten with an overpowered strike under the bar on which it is difficult to blame him for anything.
Wesley Fofana (6.5): an interesting match of the central defender, who never hesitated to slide in the corridor to compensate for the climbs of Debuchy and Honorat. At the height of the meeting.
William Saliba (7.5): read comment above.
Timothe Kolodziejczak (7): in cold weather with Claude Puel, the player trained in Lyon partially bought out from his coach by marking out at the best time, before the break, with a head that was not very academic. Defensively, he was solid.
Mathieu Debuchy (6): a more than correct match for the right side of Saint-Etienne. If everything was not perfect defensively, he found a second wind at the end of the match to make the Rennes back off. He is very close to scoring the second goal in added time.
Yohan Cabaye (not rated): a very difficult evening for the people of Saint-Etienne. Indeed, he was the most dangerous Green with two great chances at the start of the match, and set the tempo for more than half an hour. But he couldn’t finish the game, injured. Replace the 39th minute with Assane Diousse (6.5), who did the job by working well in the midfield.
Yann M’Vila (6): the best compared to his recent performances. The midfielder, who faced his former club, made many interesting defensive interventions. We can, however, criticize him for his propensity to fall too low on the ground. Replace the 82nd minute with Ryad Boudebouz (not rated), which scored the goal of a surgical strike victory.
Mahdi Camara (5.5): the environment has sometimes been astonishing with interesting technical gestures. But he often suffered from N’Zonzi, which did not make his life easy.
Franck Honorat (5): if he was active, the wingman did not manage to make differences in his lane. A little match for him despite his good will.
Denis Bouanga (5): certainly, he is involved in the goal of Boudebouz’s victory. But overall, the Gabonese striker was little seen by not succeeding in circumventing the Breton defense.
Los Diony (6): the Saint-Etienne striker is paradoxically better in this difficult period of his club. Again this evening, he made tremendous efforts to use the Rennes defense. It is thanks to him that the equalization arrives before the break with a specific center for Kolodziejczak. Replace the 72nd minute with Charles Abi (not rated), which has acquired a second hand standard in overtime.
RENNES :
Edouard Mendy (5.5): the Senegalese goalkeeper pushed the chance before Debuchy, in additional time, by a reflex stop. But he could not do anything on the perfect strike of Boudebouz.
Hamari Traor (5.5): good and not so good for the right side. If he was active and that he achieved a standard rescue at the end of the match, he is far too lax about the center of Diony which leads to Stphan equalization.
Joris Gnagnon (6): one thing is certain, the central defender did not come to be walked on. Very aggressive in his interventions, he has long intimidated opposing attackers. A good match.
Damien Da Silva (5): the Breton captain had a hard time. Often surpassed in duels by Diony, he displayed an uneasy face throughout the meeting.
Maouassa casserole (5.5): the left side still has quite a trunk … It has several times made authoritarian debates in its corridor, without however being dangerous. It’s a shame, because there was much better to do.
Raphinha (7): the Brazilian made damage. He gets a penalty by getting rid of Saliba beautifully and hurts in his lane on each of his shots. Too alone, however, to make the difference, despite his incessant races until the end of the match.
Eduardo Camavinga (5): the young prodigy has once again done a lot of work in the midfield, undergoing many rough interventions from the Greens. But he especially flirted with the red card for more than an hour because of interventions often poorly mastered, especially in the second period. Mitig. Replace the 68th minute with James La-Siliki (not rated).
Steven N’Zonzi (4): precious since his arrival, the tri-color world champion has been good in the distribution of the game. However, he is not faultless on the equalization of Saint-Etienne, with a very lax marking on Kolodziejczak, and misses his raise on Boudebouz’s victorious goal. Two errors that Rennes has paid cash.
Benjamin Bourigeaud (4): the former Lensois passed next to his match. Positioned on the left side, it brought far too little offensively despite a burst of pride after the break.
M’Baye Niang (5.5): we have seen very little the Senegalese striker, who was however decisive since he is involved in the penalty obtained by Raphinha with a nice heel to destabilize the defense of Saint Etienne. A repair kick that he transformed into strength under the bar. Replace the 82nd minute with Adrien Hunou (not rated).
Romain Del Castillo (5.5): failing to have been dangerous in the first period, the Lyon-trained player was technically interesting, with ball shots often delicious. It is close to giving back the advantage to his own with a good shot on the return from the locker room. Replace the 76th minute with Yann Gboho (not rated).
+ Find the results and the classification of Coupe de France on Maxifoot
And for you, who were the best and the worst players of the match? Comment in the “comments” area below!
ST ETIENNE 2-1 RENNES (mid-time: 1-1) – FRANCE – French Cup / 1/2
Stadium: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard – Referee: Antony Gautier
Goals : T. Kolodziejczak (43rd) R. Boudebouz (90 + 4th) for ST ETIENNE – M. Niang (33rd, pen.) For RENNES
Warnings :
ST ETIENNE :
RENNES :
Diony posed problems Da Silva
Boudebouz freed the Greens (2-1, 90th + 4)
VIDEO: the goal of Boudebouz’s victory
Human pool on the lawn of the Cauldron at the final whistle
VIDEO: it was madness in the Cauldron!
The green wardrobe with angels!
