Saint-Étienne snatches a precious point against Nantes

A null result which does not suit anyone. AS Saint-Etienne and FC Nantes were unable to decide between themselves (1-1), this Sunday afternoon, at the Geoffreoy-Guichard stadium, as part of the 18^e day of Ligue 1, at the end of a competitive match. It was the Greens who entered the match the best, exerting pressure as high as it was intense and monopolizing the ball. But they were caught at their own game since shortly before the first quarter of an hour of play, Dennis Appiah, trying to get the ball out cleanly, offered Moses Simon an opportunity to open the scoring. The Nigerian didn't need to be asked and fired a powerful left-footed shot which left Gautier Larsonneur (14^e). Eirik Horneland's men then tried to react, by projecting themselves in numbers and insisting on the sides. However, they fell against a low, compact and solid block from Nantes. Anthony Lopes – whistled at every ball taken by the supporters of the Forez club – was never really worried. And the Canaries returned to the locker room with a one-goal advantage.

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Returning from the break, AS Saint-Etienne almost equalized on a sublime hidden pass from Lamine Fomba for the very young Djylian N'Guessan (16 years old) – started for the first time this Sunday afternoon – who slightly too open his foot to find the opposite small net (49^e). FC Nantes, for its part, tried to calm down, play less in first intention and put (a little) foot on the ball. A strategy which paid off…at least until the hour mark. After the various offensive changes made by Eirik Horneland, the Greens played a step higher and began to appear really dangerous. The Canaries defenders were heroic, blocking (almost) every opposing shot. But at the end of the match, Antoine Kombaouré's players collapsed on a cannon shot from Augustine Boakye, who had entered a few minutes earlier (86^e). With this draw, the Forez club remains 16^e classification; the Loire Atlantique formation, for its part, remains 15^e.