Football | Ligue 1 – The Greens see red and lose in Lens
Outnumbered after 15 minutes and then nine after the hour mark, the completely harmless ASSSE conceded a second straight Ligue 1 defeat on Saturday afternoon in Lens (2-0).
Lens – ASSE
2-0
After the defeat in Rennes, a week ago in Geoffroy-Guichard (0-3), the Greens fell again in Lens (2-0) on Saturday afternoon. And the whole paradox of this meeting is that the Greens, with a team that is still very young, were weighed down by their experienced men. At the quarter of an hour of play, Kolodziejczak (29), taken like a bruise by the control of Ignatius Ganagos, slices him in the box. Helped by the VAR and the injury of the Lensois attacker, evacuated on a stretcher, M.Dechepy changes his warning to a red card and Kakuta executes Moulin (1-0, 15e ).
After the hour mark, Khazri (29) entered the break for his return to the squad, was in turn sent straight back to the locker room for a tackle on Gradit just outside the northern area (65e ). Claude Puel, mad with rage, finally resigns himself to sitting down on his bench. The general manager knows that the damage is already done. Because his team, ten from the quarter of an hour of play, has never been able to equalize.
More than experimental defense
Already very annoyed by Blood and Gold players and full of control, the Ligériens sleep in their camp since the attempt of Bouanga rejected by Leca (4e ). Before, Kolodziejczak, again him, failed to deceive Moulin on a cross from Clauss (2e ). The Forézienne defense made of odds and ends – Sissoko, loaned to Le Puy (National) last year, first tenure; Sow, entering Rivera’s place after Kolo’s red in the axis, interesting for his first pro game; Mason, right-handed, in the left corridor – sudden. Medina, scorer, is finally signaled offside after intervention by VAR (20e ), Moulin intervenes in two stages ahead of Sotoca (35e ) and Moukoudi, one of the few to keep his head above water, repeatedly saves the homeland.
Harmless, AS Saint-Étienne can thank his goalkeeper, inspired by a header from Banza higher than a dying Sissoko, for leaving her alive just after the locker room (46e ). Bouanga, very frustrated, and Nordin, are hardly ever found. Opposite, Franck Haise’s men spoil several opportunities to take shelter (53e , 60e ; 72e ). ASSE has the merit of not having conceded a goal in the game but still cracked a second time on a header from Sotoca, receiving a corner (2-0, 82e ).
The Stéphanois will take advantage of the international break and two weeks before the reception in Nice to get back to where they are. Claude Puel and his staff have only a few hours before the end of the transfer window on Monday evening …
Romain COLANGE