The three French clubs involved Thursday, February 16 in the play-offs for the knockout stages of the Europa League maintained their chances of qualification after a very lively evening which saw Nantes and Monaco offer a real good European match in Turin and Leverkusen, shortly time after a disappointing performance from Rennes, beaten by Chakhtar Donetsk.
- The right to dream for Nantes against Juventus
FC Nantes did not miss their big European meeting in Turin by standing up to the legendary Juventus (1-1), which allows them to maintain their dream of exploits in a week at La Beaujoire.
Arrived as outsiders to face in particular former Parisians Angel Di Maria and Adrien Rabiot, the Nantes residents gave in from the 13e minute when Dusan Vlahovic concluded a superb collective movement initiated by the Argentinian world champion and relayed by Federico Chiesa (1-0).
But the Canaries had the merit of not sinking and even, little by little, pointed the tip of their beak near the Italian surface, while Juve slowed down. Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont, impeccable ahead of Di Maria twice (28e49e), left his team in the match and Ludovic Blas did not miss the first opportunity when it presented itself: the yellow number 10 concluded an express counter led by Fabien Centonze taking advantage of a bright pass from Mostafa Mohamed (60e) and a slip from Turinese Gleison Bremer (1-1).
Trapped by the cunning Antoine Kombouaré, Massimiliano Allegri’s Juve finally woke up. But the Nantes people competed in heroism and success to hold on, saved by the uprights on a strike from Chiesa (62e) then a corner from Di Maria (66e) and by the clumsiness of Danilo on a final hot situation (90 + 1). They trembled again in added time when the referee was called back by VAR (video assistance) to assess a possible penalty for a handball from Centonze. But he finally absolved the Nantes defender due to a Turin foul.
“Big congratulations to my players who were heroic, solid, paid tribute to Antoine Kombouaré. But the hardest thing will be to finish the job, I expect Juve to come back. »
The Italian club, which has won just one of its seven European games this season after a disastrous run in the Champions League, will go to Nantes for “to play a final” said Allegri. “We need everyone to have a boiling Beaujoire”retorted Kombouaré.
- Monaco snatch victory
At the end of a crazy match, AS Monaco went on to win on the lawn of Bayer Leverkusen (3-2) thanks to a superb strike from 30 meters from defender Axel Disasi in added time of the second period.
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This victory on German soil allows them to take an option on qualification, but it was hard for Philippe Clément’s men. The evening had however started well with a fairly quick and rather opportunistic opening of the Monegasque score. On a back pass, the Finnish goalkeeper of Bayer, Lukas Hradecky, got into trouble after poor control. Under the pressure of the Swiss striker, Breel Embolo, who does not touch the ball but slightly Hradecky on the action, the Leverkusen goalkeeper pushed the ball into his own goal. Hradecky’s protests to claim a fault were in vain, the referee validating the opening of the Monegasque score (1-0).
But while Monaco had their hands on the first half, Leverkusen turned things around in the second half with first a goal from Moussa Diaby. The French international, absent from Didier Deschamps’ list for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, played the Monegasque defense to equalize in the 47the minute (1-1).
The Frenchman then left injured, which did not prevent Leverkusen from taking control of the game after a solo exploit by Florian Wirtz who dribbled past five Monaco defenders to deceive Nübel just before the hour mark (2 -1).
Leverkusen then controlled the proceedings, until Krépin Diatta, found on the edge of offside, cheated Hradecky for the Monegasque equalizer with a curled shot from the left at the entrance to the penalty area (2 -2).
Close to sinking on a shot from Adam Hlosek on the post in the 86the, Monaco finally found the fault thanks to Disasi, then resisted the onslaught of Leverkusen at the end of the game. The work remains to be finished in the Principality where a draw will be enough to qualify.
A little earlier, Stade Rennes, which was playing in Warsaw, where Chakhtar Donetsk is playing its European matches due to the war ravaging Ukraine, was shaken up and can consider itself lucky to still be alive, with only one goal behind (1-2).
Under the cheers of some 12,000 spectators who came to support the Ukrainian team, alongside a thousand Rennes residents, Bogdan Mykhaylychenko took advantage of a ball lost by the Rennes defense and found Kryskiv, who arrived launched and fired a shot in the middle of the skylight to open the debates (1-0, 11e).
Without inspiration or real combativeness in attack, the Rouge et Noir offered the break to the Ukrainians, on a fault by Lesley Ugochukwu, late on a clearance in the box. On the penalty, Steve Mandanda could only touch Bondarenko’s shot (2-0, 45+1).
The second half almost turned into a nightmare for Rennes, with two quick intrusions in quick succession from Oleksandr Zubkov (46e et 48e), but the winger fired wide. And by dint of trying, the Bretons ended up closing the gap on a good cross from Jérémy Doku and a volley by Toko Ekambi at the far post (59e, 2-1). This is the former Lyonnais’ first goal in his new colors since his recent transfer.
Fallen from the podium and even European places in Ligue 1, quickly eliminated in the Coupe de France, Bruno Genesio’s men have not yet lost everything, but they will not have the slightest margin for error in the return match.
“Obviously we have an obligation of result when we are at Stade Rennaisexplained the coach. But we’re only halfway through the game. And tonight, we showed a state of mind that reassured me. »
