This evening, ASSE faced Montpellier in a crucial match for the fight to remain in Ligue 1. The Montpellier residents presented themselves with several former Stéphanois, such as Nordin, Khazri, Sacko, or the coaching duo Printant and Gasset. But the Greens did not tremble and won a precious victory. A victory all the more important as it allows them to distance themselves from a direct competitor by relegating them to six points.
It was with a magnificent tribute to Rachid Mekhloufi that this meeting began, with a fictitious kick-off given by his two daughters. Once the emotions have passed, it’s time to meet.
And it got off to a flying start: from the first minute, Arnaud Nordin entered the penalty area, hooked while refocusing in the axis of the goal and struck. the ball did not end up in the Saint-Etienne net thanks to a classy save from Gauthier Larsonneur. Fear on the side of the Greens!
In the 8th minute, Ibrahim Sissoko, alone against the Montpellier goalkeeper, missed a great opportunity by shooting wide. However, no regrets: a hand from the Malian player would have canceled the goal anyway.
After Boakye lit a first fuse in the 14th minute and the supporters threw balls onto the pitch, causing a stoppage in play, the Stéphanois obtained their first corner of the game. It's Louis Mouton who takes care of it, but Batubinsika's header doesn't find the target.
In the 24th minute, Montpellier got a good free kick in the middle 25 meters from the goal, taken by Téji Savanier. This is countered by the arm of a Stéphanois, offering a new free kick, this time from 18 meters. Savanier takes charge again, but the ball, deflected by a Stéphanois defender, passes just next to the goals.
Half an hour into the game, in a good position, Zuriko Davitashvili missed an opportunity by sending a completely crushed shot into the arms of the Montpellier goalkeeper. Too bad, the opportunity to open the scoring for Saint-Étienne was great.
First for Benjamin Bouchouari!
In the 37th minute, Arnaud Nordin overflows and crosses back for Téji Savanier, but Abdelhamid defends perfectly and saves the Stéphanois. However, the referee signals a foul and awards a penalty. After intervention by the VAR and viewing the images, he logically reconsidered his decision and canceled the penalty.
End of a very timid first half on the Saint-Etienne side.
Very big opportunity for the Stéphanois at the start of the second half, with a succession of passes in the Montpellier penalty area. Despite several attempts, no Greens player manages to make it happen. Finally, Louis Mouton hits a ball which is deflected for a corner. The Greens are off to a very strong start this second half.
In the 46th minute, Benjamin Bouchouari opened the scoring with a perfect volley, following a ball poorly cleared by the Montpellier defense. Saint-Étienne leads 1 to 0!
A few minutes later, on an excellent, well-negotiated ball recovery, Zuriko Davitashvili found himself facing Benjamin Lecomte. But the Montpellier goalkeeper won his duel. The following corner achieves nothing.
A second penalty against ASSE canceled!
In the process, Montpellier infiltrates the Saint-Etienne area, and Léo Pétrot is sanctioned with a foul by the referee. However, it seems that there is nothing and that the Montpellier player has simulated. The VAR intervenes again, and after consulting the images, the referee cancels his decision. He even distributes yellow cards against Montpellier residents who came to protest.
Montpellier pushes strongly in the middle of the second half. A mix-up in the Saint-Etienne area allows Wahbi Khazri to recover the ball, but Téji Savanier seizes it and attempts a curling shot which passes above the top corner of Gauthier Larsonneur. Big alert for the Greens!
The fears multiply: a poorly adjusted back pass arrives at Wahbi Khazri, at the penalty spot. The former Stéphanois misses the ball and his shot, which ends up going out for a corner. The latter doesn't give anything either.
Still under pressure, Montpellier gets another opportunity in the 75th minute. A dangerous shot is repelled by Gauthier Larsonneur for a corner. The Greens seem to have lost control of the ball.
The end of the match is anxiety-provoking for the Green People, but ASSE ultimately wins 1-0!
