Tops
Hamouma brought the light
The only scorer of the meeting, the converted winger at the kickoff did what he can do best when he is in possession of his means: to treat the assistance. Always quick to combine with his teammates, sometimes leaving himself the freedom to dezone, he came to conclude a school cons with a sublime strike in the skylight of a helpless Paul Nardi, to open the scoring (19th). At the end of the first period, it was very close to offering the break to Aouchiche, who ran into the Breton goalkeeper. Finally, Hamouma decides to fulfill this task by deceiving Nardi a second time after returning from the locker room, on a new service from Nordin (51st). When he is at this level, the Stéphanois player seems irresistible.
The Kolo-Fofana pair still complementary
Already very serene during the first friendly matches in July, the central hinge of Claude Puel confirmed his good dispositions. With unfailing serenity between the impact and speed of Fofana, and the assurance of Kolodziejczak, the Stéphanois coach seems to have a solid base on which to build the team. Beyond this purely defensive aspect, the two players are the guarantee of a clean recovery, apart from the odd committed by Kolodziejczak against Hamel (77th). The left-hander is even at the origin of Hamouma’s double by going to scratch a ball forty meters from the opposing goal.
Moulin swayed on either side of the pitch
If there is no doubt that the question of reminders is one of the reasons for the questioning of the status of Stéphane Ruffier, it seems that Jessy Moulin is able to meet the expectations of Claude Puel. Following a corner from Lorient, the Stéphanois goalkeeper won in the air before making an immediate hand raise of more than forty meters for Nordin, eliminating half of the opposing team. At the end: the opening of the score of Romain Hamouma. In addition to this decisive moment, he was generally reassured about his game on the foot, apart from two balls too supported. Impacting offensively, he also had the ideal gesture against Wissa who had yet released him from his support with a fake strike (32nd).
Flops
Transparent bouanga
Last element of an attack in verve, the Gabonese did not seem well in his crampons on this Sunday afternoon. Rarely found by his teammates, either because he was forgotten in certain phases, or because his races were irrelevant, he only stood out on a cross taken by Aouchiche. His replacement by Rivera has confirmed that he lacks that little grain of madness that allowed him to make the differences last season, when he appears to be in great physical shape.
Drifting mason
Already in difficulty in the final against PSG, the side experienced great difficulties on his left flank. Sending several blocks to his teammates, he is partly responsible for the yellow card received by Neyou following an unstable pass. Defensively challenged by a stirring Boisgard, he never brought danger in front. Little helped by his positioning forcing him to play on his wrong foot, it became evident as the meeting progressed that the priority of Saint-Etienne recruitment was on this left-back position.