Zapping Goal! Football club ASSE – OGC Nice: The debrief and the presentation of the Derby
Do not mark on its highlights …
For a long time, and it is obvious, that ASSE supporters had not seen so many opportunities for their players. Paradoxically, it was against a big, a supposed cador of Ligue 1 and it doesn’t matter what his name is OL. With Ryad Boudebouz at the helm of the game, shelved for months and relaunched as a starter, the Green Vs had real situations to open the scoring. From the 9th minute, on a heavy strike from Nordin, badly repelled by Lopes (9th), and that Khazri smashed on the left post of the Lyon goalkeeper while the goal was empty. This same Khazri who, for a knee, was reported offside on a sublime offering from Boudebouz, when he had to wait. The players of Puel, and we think in particular of Bouanga and Nordin, were not always happy in all their choices around the opposing surface. Lack of technique, or lucidity, the only certainty, ASSE could return to the locker room with a goal on the clock. Similar consideration, of course, when returning from the locker room with Denis Bouanga, alone against Lopes (56th) and who lost his duel, or even Gourna-Douath who, for his part, found Pollersbeck’s cross (76th), replacing Lopes just excluded previously for a hand outside the box.
Etienne Green’s huge match
It was his very first derby tonight and he should remember it. Not for the result, of course, but for the atmosphere and the match. Exceptional. If it was Timothée Kolodziejczak who saved his family against Paqueta (12th), by countering the Brazilian, the young Saint Etienne goalkeeper then took matters in hand. Exceptional, first of all, on a half valley of (Aouar (19th) by turning away with his firm left hand. Nice stop, also, on a distant strike from Caqueret (24th), thus, to conclude the first act, that a left hand parade against Aouar with the head (35th). Green bowed, logically, on a strike from the Lyon midfielder (42nd, 0-1), while the latter had too much freedom in the twenty meters against Moukoudi. The goalkeeper of the Greens continued his faultless in the second half with, in particular, outings full of relevance, and in particular against Aouar, at the foot (71st).
Technical errors pay for themselves
OL, without the help of VAR and the cancellation of Shaqiri’s goal, should have led 2-0 at the break – a break made possible by yet another loss of ball in midfield from the Stéphanois . If the Greens provided a solid performance, and proved to their supporters that they were not giving up, we also saw the technical difference with OL. A world of variation. At the slightest mistake, the Lyonnais could punish them. At the slightest mistake, or following a bad placement, the Lyonnais made the difference. Fortunately and by dint of self-sacrifice and will, the players of Puel obtained a penalty at the very end of the match, transformed by Khazri (1-1, 93rd).
to summarize
ASSE welcomed OL to its den in Geoffroy-Guichard this evening for the traditional derby. At the end of the 90 minutes, and the draw of the Greens on the score of 1-1, here is what to remember on the Stéphanois side.