The magic happened again at the Stade Francis-Le Blé. Poor last Sunday in Angers, Éric Roy’s men, however deprived of several players and once again not spared from injuries (read elsewhere), which will not fail to complicate their task in the very busy weeks which they are waiting, were able to show a completely different face to overcome Lyon, although they came with the objective of taking advantage of Monegasque Lille’s missteps to get back on the podium.
Camara-Ajorque: the good times
Capable of missing out on certain matches, like in Angers but also in Montpellier or Auxerre before that, Stade Brestois was especially able to avoid repeating its mistakes of the past, and certain failed starts to matches. “I told my players that it would already be good if we didn’t concede a goal in the first five minutes,” said Éric Roy. And it’s true that not only did we start well by putting this Lyon team in difficulty, but above all we were able to score in our first situations. » By Camara, first, him the former Stéphanois who came to disrupt the Lyon park after beating Perri in a tight angle (1-0, 8′), then by Ajorque, already at the origin of the first goal and this time perfectly served with a blind backheel by… Camara (2-0, 25′). The ideal way for the Reunion striker to celebrate his 150th appearance in Ligue 1, now the only top scorer in the Finistère squad in the competition (five goals).
At home, only PSG does better than Brest
If it can therefore experience ups and downs, this Stade Brestois has another particularity, which it confirmed on Saturday: once it leads the score, it is (almost) guaranteed to win. Which he has now done seven times out of the nine times he opened the scoring (except for Paris and Rennes). Second best team in Ligue 1 at home after this success against Lyon, they mainly manage to take at home the points they let slip away away. “We feel good here. The public manages to create a very harsh atmosphere for the opponents, who don’t like coming here. It’s a small stadium, it’s rainy, it’s windy. For us, it gives us strength: we are at home, we want to prove it. We are in front of our families, our friends. We want to show that we are good Ligue 1 players in front of all of them,” explains Brendan Chardonnet, very well placed to talk about it.
Despite a little scare at the end of the first half, with the reduction of Veretout’s score (2-1, 45’+1) followed by another goal from Tolisso finally refused for offside, the Finistériens, well helped by a decisive Marco Bizot, were able to overcome a “very, very strong team”, as Roy emphasized. And this, thanks to their “collective expression, which is a great satisfaction”. A “DNA”, an “intensity”, an “aggressiveness” and a “rhythm” which must allow them to “exist in this championship” as Chardonnet insisted. That’s good: here they are back in the Top 10.
The technical sheet
Referee: E. Wattellier.
Spectators: 14 735.
BUTS. Brest: Camara (8′), Ajorque (25′); Lyon: Veretout (45’+2),
Warnings. Brest : Fernandes (55′) ; Lyon : Tessmann (57′), Caleta-Car (90’+ 2).
BREST. Bizot – Lala, Chardonnet (c), Ndiaye, Haïdara (Amavi, 46′, Zogbé 90’+4)- Camara, Fernandes, Magnetti – Doumbia (Del Castillo, 76′) – Ajorque (Sima, 85′), Baldé ( Pereira Lage, 76′). Coach: Eric Roy.
Not entered into play: Coudert, Le Guen, Faivre, Salah.
LYON. Perri – Mata, Caleta-Car, Niakhaté, Tagliafico (Abner, 46′) – Veretout (Nuamah, 46′), Tessmann (Maitland-Niles, 67′), Tolisso – Cherki, Lacazette (c) (Mikautadze, 76′) , Fofana (Benrahma, 80′). Coach: Pierre Sage.
Not entered into play: Descamps, Kumbedi, Omari, Diawara.
