Reims : 4
Montpellier : 2
Stade de Reims, winner of Montpellier (4-2) at home on Sunday afternoon on the seventh day of Ligue 1, went on to a sixth match without defeat which allows it to maintain fourth place with fourteen points, as much as Marseille (3e).
A week after a convincing victory in Angers (3-1) which gave them confidence in their offensive capabilities, the Rémois did it again with a good performance, marked in particular by a new goal from Japanese striker Keito Nakamura, his fourth in four consecutive meetings.
For its part, Montpellier, weakened by numerous absences, slipped to seventeenth and penultimate place and confirmed its extremely delicate start to the season, with already five defeats and 21 goals conceded. The position of coach Michel Der Zakarian could be weakened.
A statue of Just Fontaine
A few minutes before kick-off, a life-size bronze statue of Just Fontaine, former legend of the Stade de Reims and the French team, was inaugurated near the Auguste-Delaune stadium.
Luka Elsner’s men paid a beautiful tribute to the prolific scorer who died on March 1, 2023 by scoring four goals and creating a multitude of chances.
Sparkling since his victorious entry into play in Nantes on the fourth day (2-1), Keito Nakamura was brilliant again.
The Japanese striker manhandled the Montpellier rearguard with his liveliness and offered himself a fourth consecutive goal after playing Stefan Dzodic, 25 meters away (2-0, 25e).
Nakamura untenable
Very active, the Japanese international also added an assist to his tally, a magnificent cross from the left side, placed on the head of Oumar Diakité, strangely alone in the area (3-1, 57e).
The Stade de Reims led the game with a bang, without ever being worried, or almost. It must be said that the Champenois managed their start perfectly thanks to a very early goal from Marshall Munetsi.
Launched on the right side, Diakité sent a precise cross that the Zimbabwean headed back, between two totally overwhelmed Montpellier players (1-0, 6e). Munetsi’s third goal of the season.
However, the MHSC thought it could restart the match twice. First, when Arnaud Nordin scored a nice goal with a cross shot into Yehvann Diouf’s small net when no one was attacking him (2-1, 37e).
The same Montpellier striker then inherited a poorly returned ball into the area and fired a magnificent left-handed shot into the opposite corner, after easily clearing Mohamed Daramy (3-2, 90e + 1).
But the Danish international redeemed himself a few moments later by winning a penalty by shooting into the arm of Falaye Sacko. A penalty that Teddy Teuma transformed to definitively seal the fate of the match (4-2, 90e + 3).
