Juba Touabi, Media365, published on Monday December 16, 2024 at 10:54 p.m.
Dunkirk concluded the 16th day of Ligue 2 in style by winning 3-1 against Caen.
A deserved victory for the Northerners, who dominated the debates and took advantage of this success to climb onto the podium, tied on points with Paris FC, 2nd in the ranking. Conversely, Caen, in great difficulty, remains stuck in 16th place, in a play-off position. From the start of the match, the locals set an intense pace, monopolizing the ball and exerting constant pressure. Despite several attempts by Skyttä (15', 36') and a goal from Bammou refused for offside (29'), Dunkirk was unable to consolidate its domination in the first period. Opposite, Caen tried to take advantage of the counterattacks, Gomis and Mendy forcing Ortola to intervene just before the break. At half-time, the score remained goalless despite the clear superiority of the locals (0-0).
Dunkirk in the race for promotion to L1
Returning from the locker room, Dunkerque quickly found the fault. On a cross volleyed by Bammou, Thomas, unhappy, deflected the ball into his own goal (53', 1-0). This opening score freed the Northerners, who continued their domination. Clémentia had to repel a shot from Rivera (55'), but Sasso widened the gap by taking a corner from Bardeli at the far post (65', 2-0). Despite a Caen reaction with a nice goal from Tomé at the edge of the area (73', 2-1), Dunkirk quickly extinguished Normandy's hopes. Essimi, who came on as a substitute, won a penalty after overtaking Lecoeuche. Courtet did not tremble and converted the opportunity with a full-range shot (83', 3-1), definitively sealing the victory for his team.
With this success, Dunkirk confirms its status as a serious candidate for promotion to Ligue 1, now occupying 3rd place in the ranking. On the other hand, Caen continues to sink into the red zone, unable to find solutions to emerge from the crisis. The Norman club will spend the holidays in a play-off position, a situation which calls for rapid adjustments. This match illustrates Dunkirk's ability to establish itself as a formidable force in Ligue 2, while Caen will have to react to avoid a decline at the end of the season. The opposing dynamics of the two teams mark a turning point in this crucial phase of the championship.
