For this meeting, Horneland is still without Wadji, Maçon, Monconduit, Sissoko or even Ekwah who was absent at the last minute due to illness. It is Lamine Fomba who replaces him numerically in the starting eleven. Defensively we don't touch anything but the surprise is offensive with the first start of Djylian N'Guessan, alongside Stassin and Davitashvili.
The Greens exert a lot of pressure at the start of the match but fail to be surprised with a strong cross in front of Larsonneur's goal from the left who fortunately passes in front of everyone (5th). A few minutes later, the Greens are on the verge of a breakup after a disagreement between Nadé and Larsonneur which allows Augusto to come face to face with the Stéphanois goalkeeper who wins his duel against the Nantes striker (7th). A few minutes later, ASSE obtains its first situation: Appiah combines with Davitashvili, the center back and N'Guessan is not far from being able to regain the ball (11th). Nevertheless, Nantes strikes first: Appiah is guilty of an error which benefits Moses Simon who opens the score by shooting Larsonneur (0-1, 14e). The Stéphanois are less fair than in their last outings and lack solutions in the last 30 meters of the opponent to force the Canaries' lock. If ASSE still has ample possession of the ball, it is sterile in this first act. Despite the pressure exerted at the end of the half, at the break, like against Reims, the Greens trailed one to zero.
The start is from Stéphane and the Greens get their first huge opportunity of the match: Fomba finds nicely N'Guessan behind the defense who presents himself alone against Lopes whom he deceives but his shot narrowly misses, what a shame (48th). The Nantes counterattacks often hurt and once again we are not far from the goal but the defense falls back of course Guirassy who sees his shot blocked (50th). The Nantes players, like almost the start of the match, are playing for time and very often remain on the ground after contact in the game, which has the gift of annoying the Greens and their coach, Eirik Horneland. The Stéphanois push without managing to obtain huge situations, the corners follow one another but the flaw has not been found for the moment. On a cross from Bouchouari, Amougou, freshly entered into play, deflects towards Davitashvili whose powerful volley was saved by a huge sacrifice from Castelletto for Nantes (72nd). In the process, it's very hot in the Saint-Etienne surface but Larsonneur manages to get out of it (73rd). The Saint-Etienne goalkeeper is still impeccable in front Abline a few moments later (75th). The Greens push at the end of the match but there is always a foot or a leg to prevent Saint-Étienne from equalizing. Until the 87th minute of play and an exceptional strike fromAugustine Boakye who smashes Lopes' cage to tie the two teams (1-1, 87e). The Stéphanois pushed in added time to snatch victory but did not succeed. It's even Nantes on a corner who has the match point but the ball goes over (1-1, final score).
ASSE 1-1 FCN (Half time: 0-1)
-Compo': Larsonneur – Appiah, Batubinsika, Nadé, Pétrot (88e Cornud)- Fomba (70e Amougou), Bouchouari (88e Miladinovic), Mouton (60e Tardieu) – Davitashvili, N'Guessan (60e Boakye), Stassin
Goals: Simon for the FCN; Boakye for ASSE
Cards: Larsonneur, Batubinsika for ASSE; Chirivella for Nantes
