Elevator, objective, system… Everything you need to know about the Angers SCO

A few hours before the ninth day of Ligue 1 which pits AS Monaco against Angers at the Stade Louis-II (7 p.m.), find out everything you need to know about SCO, promoted this season.

Immediately regain the taste of victory. Beaten last weekend in Nice, the Rouge et Blanc conceded their first defeat of the season and want to resume their march forward. This will therefore require a good result at home against Angers, a promoted club, for the 10th day of Ligue 1 (7 p.m.). A few hours before this meeting, find out what you need to know about this training led by Alexandre Dujeux. Presentation ????️

Elevator activated ????

Relegated at the end of a 2022-2023 season where Angers finished bottom with only 18 points, the Anjou club only spent one season in the antechamber of the elite. Regular, the SCO players found themselves on the podium during the 10th day and never left it again. Then fighting with Saint-Etienne for second place, they overtook the Greens on the penultimate day to seize this position, synonymous with a direct comeback.

Maintenance objective ????

For their return to the elite, the objective of the Angevins is simple: to succeed in maintaining their position. And if the start of the season as well as the preparation were complicated (3 defeats to start the championship), things have been better since. They took 7 points out of 18 possible, including a draw at the Vélodrome (1-1). Today 15th and outside the red zone, they even obtained their first victory last weekend against Saint-Etienne (4-2).

A successful system change ????

These latest encouraging results result in part from the change in system made by Alexandre Dujeux. Accustomed to 4-2-3-1 last season, the coach decided to switch to a more defensive pattern in 3-4-3 or 5-3-2, to start this new exercise. But noticing difficulties (one goal scored, seven conceded), he who has been in office since March 7, 2023, very quickly repositioned his players in his preferred pattern for the latest results that we know.

Many absent ????

The Angevin coach, who likes to see his team come out cleanly and recover the ball quickly, has to deal with several absentees. Defender Cédric Hountondji, midfielders Sidiki Chérif, Zinédine Ferhat, Joseph Lopy and striker Justin-Noël Kalumba will still be injured. While Lilian Rao-Lisoa will be suspended this Friday against AS Monaco after receiving a three-match suspension for his red received in Marseille during J6.

A former Monegasque returning ????

Alexandre Dujeux will nevertheless be able to rely on the presence of a former Monegasque: Jean-Eudes Aholou, who arrived this summer from Strasbourg. The Ivorian midfielder, who played 23 matches with the Principality club in 2018-2019 then 2020-2021, is a major player in the Angevin squad since he remains on seven starts in a row and has even been able to turn into a scorer during the success acquired against ASSE.

Players to follow ????

Yahia Fofana ????

Wilfried Singo’s partner in Ivory Coast will certainly be in high demand on Friday, as has been the case since the start of the season. The winner of the 2023 African Cup of Nations makes four saves per match and already has 36 in total. He is thus the second goalkeeper to have made the most saves behind Nice’s Marcin Bulka (41).

Himad Abdelli ????????

The attacking midfielder has been at SCO since 2022-2023 and has become an executive. After participating in 30 matches during his first season, he then played 35. Scoring nine goals and providing two assists, the Algerian international (3 caps) was included in the typical Ligue 2 team at the UNFP Trophies. Scorer against ASSE, he scored for the third time and remains the best Angevin director.

Farid El Melali ☄️

His Algerian compatriot will also be one to watch on the left side of the attack. Arriving in Anjou in 2018, the 27-year-old has played 113 games but really started to gain momentum last year (33 games, 8 goals, 5 assists). A starting role that he retained this season with eight matches on the clock, notably distinguishing himself at the Vélodrome with a direct free kick for his only achievement.