Stade Michel-Moretti
Around 2,500 spectators
Referee: Mr Gaillouste
Goals: Anziani (47th) and Strata (64th) for the ACA
Warnings: Jacquet (37th), Da Silva (46th) in Clermont; Sollacaro (37th), Touré (71st), Everson (90th) for the ACA
ACA
Sollacaro, Youssouf, Huard, Bamba (Vidal, 76e), Ayessa, Barreto (Anziani, 26e), Everson, Jabol, Touré, Soumano (Strata, 61e), Ibayi (Touzghar, 76e), coach: Mathieu Chabert
Clermont
N'Diaye, Da Silva, Konate, Diallo (Armougom, 69th), Jacquet, Keita (Magnin, 69th), Saivet (Ackra, 90th), Gastien, Douane (Diop, 82nd), Diedhiou, Bassouamina (Baaloudj, 69th), coach: Laurent Battles
Beaten at home by Metz (0-1), Monday evening, AC Ajaccio had no room for error for its 2nd consecutive meeting at the Michel Moretti stadium, against Clermont. For this important meeting, Mathieu Chabert had decided to give an even more offensive connotation to his team, notably with the tenure of Ibayi at the forefront of the attack; Julien Anziani paying the price for this tactical change and this move to 4-3-3 compared to the formation aligned against the Lorraines, a few days earlier.
As against Metz, it was the Ajaccians who were the most dangerous, on a precise pass from Barreto, upon recovering a second ball, Touré infiltrated the penalty area, but came up against a vigilant Ndiaye (8th) . Immediately, Clermont reacted through Saivet, whose shot near the penalty area was stopped with authority by Sollacaro (9th).
A forgotten red card for a Clermont player
Then, Konaté, on a good cross found Diedhiiou, who, with a volley, took the ball, which finished its race just above Sollacaro's crossbar (18th). Everson, from afar, also tried his luck, without success (20th). The ACA then lost Barreto to an injury, visibly muscular, another hard blow (26th). Especially since Clermont would immediately create the best opportunity of the first period, on a shot from Keita, from 20 meters, which hit Sollacaro's post, and which seemed beaten (30th). The match then became more difficult and Jacquet, author of a very dangerous move on Everson, received a yellow card, even though the red seemed obvious (40th). A bad refereeing decision which had the consequence of raising the temperature on Timizzolu's side and giving a boost to the “Rouge et Blanc”.
On an error by Ndiaye, the Clermont goalkeeper, who took over again, with a ball cleared in his hand, the Ajaccians obtained an indirect free kick in the area. After the mix-up, Touré's shot was returned to the line by an Auvergne defender. But both teams finally returned to the locker room with a goalless draw.
