Editor’s notes and man of the match!

ASSE faced Reims for this first match of 2025 played on behalf of the 16th day of Ligue 1. The men of the new coach, Eirik Horneland, won a very good victory by 3 goals to 1. Here are the notes given to the players and to the ASSE coach by the editorial staff of Peuple-Vert.fr.

Gautier Larsonneur (6)
A very serious match for Gautier Larsonneur, who emerged from this meeting with a goal conceded but also the satisfaction of having been able to respond to the instructions of his new coach, in particular by speeding up the game. Present when necessary, he was saved by its right amount in the second half. A diligent performance, but without truly decisive intervention, in a match where he was ultimately little worried.

Leo Petrot (6)
He evolved in the register expected of him, with more commitment and dynamism against Reims. Sometimes failing in recovery or in his ability to project himself forward, we found an enterprising Léo Pétrot. The presence of the new coach and the instructions given are certainly not unrelated.

Dylan Batubinsika (5)
Perhaps the player who showed the least progress in this meeting. Sometimes put in difficulty, notably by Nakamura, he appeared a little inside next to a radiant Nadé. It will be necessary to show more to stabilize this central defense, which has however shown progress in the absence of Abdelhamid.

Mickaël Nadé (7)
An already decisive return! Mickaël Nadé doesn’t do things by halves. Solid defensively, he used his physique to good effect, cutting many trajectories and dominating in the aerial game. The icing on the cake was that he was responsible for the Saint-Etienne equalizer with a recovery, a forward ride and a decisive pass for Boakye. A full match for the central defender, who scored points in front of his new coach.

Dennis Appiah (6)
A very serious meeting for Dennis Appiah, who also shows that he was able to meet the demands of his new coach. A lot more forward runs, more dynamism, a newfound speed… Defensively, he was much more solid than usual, despite a lively direct opponent.

Pierre Ekwah (6)
A diligent match for Pierre Ekwah, who played more forward than under Olivier Dall’Oglio. His first-line play was an interesting novelty. If we knew that he could shine when the pace was low, he seemed much more comfortable in a fast, forward game. We will have to reproduce this type of performance against opponents of a higher caliber.

Louis Mouton (6)
Louis Mouton showed commitment and determination, even hitting the post in the first half. While he seemed to have certain limits in Ligue 1 in recent weeks, he proved against Reims, in the system proposed by Horneland, that he could meet expectations. Encouraging.

Benjamin Bouchouari (7)
A very high level match for Benjamin Bouchouari, which allowed the Greens to achieve high quality transitions. His passing game was a delight, his changes of direction confusing. We finally find the Bouchouari who sometimes lit up Ligue 2, but this time at the highest level. Always on a good dynamic, he shone in midfield and even almost scored in the first half. If he was not rewarded with a goal, he delivered superb balls to his attackers.

Augustine Boakye (7)
If he was not brilliant throughout the meeting, he was able to make the difference in flashes. Boakye leaves this match with two goals to his credit, his first in the Saint-Etienne jersey. He showed composure on the equalizer, sliding the ball between Diouf’s legs, before scoring a second sumptuous goal: a hook followed by a curl into the top corner. His technique and accuracy will be valuable for ASSE. Let’s hope his season is finally underway.

Matthew Cafaro (5)
Mathieu Cafaro played his usual game, sparing no effort in defending and being active in attack. However, we will regret his lack of success and his inability to make a difference in certain situations. Despite this, he was able to speed up the game at times and distributed some good balls, notably for Lucas Stassin in the depth.

Player of the match:

Lucas Stassin (8)
Man of the match! An assist, a goal and a constant involvement in the game. More regular than Boakye who could also have won the title of “man of the match”, he was a valuable anchor point for the Saint-Etienne attack, alternating play in ball deflection and conservation. While he was slow in the first half on a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he splashed the second half with his talent. His right foot – left foot dribbling sequence concluded with a delicious ladle from the outside of the right for the third Stéphanois goal is a model of its kind.

The coach:

Eirik Horneland (8)
The Norwegian coach wasted no time and immediately put his stamp on this team. Very active on the sidelines, he was able to guide his players towards the application of his instructions: high pressing, forward play, quick transitions… And the players returned this confidence to him a hundredfold. If this performance is a foretaste of what ASSE can offer in Ligue 1 under his command, then the Greens can hope to maintain their position without trembling. The hardest part remains to be done: confirm.

The general ranking of ASSE players

To be present in this table, a player must have participated in 33% of the season’s matches.