The tops
Papinade by Kevin Gameiro. The former international is really regaining Olympic form, except when knee pain forces him to pass his turn like the other Sunday at La Meinau against Nantes (1-0). After a diesel start to the season, the striker has been in overdrive lately. After scoring four goals in a week and three matches before his package against the Canaries (1 against Montpellier, 1 in Clermont and a double in Bordeaux), he added a ninth from the 11th minute this afternoon in Angers. A volley of the right of a purity and a spontaneity which was reminiscent of a certain Jean-Pierre Papin and which refers to his first goal in Gironde. Here is “Kev” with nine goals, in the wake of Ludovic Ajorque (10) and just ahead of Habib Diallo (8 + 1 goal in the Coupe de France in Valenciennes on December 16), his two friends in the offensive compartment.
The Olympian calm of the Blues. Julien Stéphan’s men managed the Angers highlights perfectly. The partners of former Strasbourg players Stéphane Bahoken and Azzedine Ounahi proceeded in fits and starts, but the Blues never gave in to panic. Better, while the SCO had started very strong, exerting heavy pressure on the ball carrier, they reversed the trend as soon as the goal and did not let Gérald Baticle’s players breathe for about twenty minutes, before then neutralize.
Racing on a phenomenal series. Julien Stéphan’s team signed their 7th victory in nine days on Angers soil (21 points out of 27). All the lights are green for him before his trip next Sunday (3 p.m.) to Saint-Etienne, which continues to raise its head, with a third success in a row at Clermont this afternoon (2-1). With 41 points, the Blues validate their maintenance and will now be able to define other objectives. They can rely on this statistic to do so: for ten years, 97% of the teams which had 41 points after 24 days have finished in the Top 5.
–
The flops
The warning and the suspension to come from Dimitri Liénard. We had to draw on our imagination to look for a defect in the Strasbourg service. And we finally found only the yellow card collected by Dimitri Liénard just before the break. The Strasbourg captain protested not about Ibrahima Sissoko’s proven fault on Jimmy Cabot, but because of the throw-in attributed by the referee Pierre Gaillouste to the Angevin right piston when it was he who had released the ball. Already warned in Metz and against Nantes, the Belfortain, replaced in the 69th by Anthony Caci, will be suspended against Nice on February 27 (1 p.m.) at La Meinau. This small annoyance will not prevent him from celebrating his 34th birthday with dignity this evening.
The discretion of Bahoken and Ounahi. The two ex-Racingmen Stéphane Bahoken (2014-2018) and Azzedine Ounahi (trainee from 2018 to 2020) came out simultaneously in the 66th, recalled to the bench by the 3rd former Strasbourg player from SCO, coach Gérald Baticle (1995-1998 ). Neither will have shone against his former club. Admittedly, Bahoken offered himself the best opportunity from Angevin with a header taken out by Matz Sels at the foot of his right post in the 32nd. But he, who has already scored twice against RCSA since leaving Anjou four years ago, has remained silent. As for Ounahi, he was very discreet and did not influence the debates.
–
