Ten Covid-positive players (1), four injured (2), only one available goalkeeper and a decapitated staff, we did not give much of the skin of the Stéphanois at kick-off. In front of his TV screen in Saint-Étienne, Claude Puel must have all the more appreciated the start of the game of his new-look team, coached for the occasion by Laurent Huard.
Without complex, with an amazing Moueffek-Gourna-Gabard trio in the middle, the Greens should even have opened the scoring in the 8th minute of play. Mr. Gautier awarded them a penalty for a foul by goalkeeper Kawashima on Moueffek.
Khazri and Bouanga – the usual shooters – absent, it was Boudebouz who stuck to it. With the same misfortune as a month earlier against Nîmes. This time, his attempt was off target.
A Strasbourg goal almost against the course of the game
The visitors had missed their chance. A turning point, as Ajorque will admit at the break. “It was a bit of a bite. We got back into the game. “Given the slaughter of Saint-Etienne, the Alsatians were perhaps expecting an easy and quiet game. It has not happened.
It was almost against the course of the game, that they opened the scoring at the half hour by this same Ajorque, well served by Lala (29 ‘). Just before, on the same action, the Strasbourg giant had won his aerial duel with Moulin.
Regular according to the referee. The keeper disagreed. For him, there was a fault, as he confided at the end of the match. “When you get kicked in your back… I’m jumping. With the referee, we don’t have the same judgment. “
Greens not really dangerous
What they had shown so far, the envious Greens did not deserve to be led. They had the merit of never abdicating. Even at the height of the Alsatian domination when Moulin had to put out two parades to repel the attempts of Ajorque (again him, 57th) and Thomasson (60th).
The storm passed, Laurent Huard’s players then stepped back on the ball for lack of being really dangerous. Krasso stumbled twice on Kawashima (68th and 84th), while the header from Gourna-Douath flew away (69th).
The regrets, and there are some, are elsewhere. On Sunday, ASSE, already weak on paper, couldn’t afford to miss another penalty. The third this season. “We had a great match but we left again disappointed,” concludes Jessy Moulin, bitter.
(1) Debuchy, Moukoudi, Kolodziejczak, Youssouf, Hamouma, Bouanga, Abi, Monnet-Paquet, Bajic, Green.
(2) Khazri, Retsos, Neyou, Mason.