On the finish of an unbelievable match which noticed them just about out of the working for promotion on Sunday, the Greens are again in Ligue 1, two years after their relegation. FC Metz goes all the way down to Ligue 2.
France Télévisions – Sports activities Editorial
Printed on 02/06/2024 19:49 Up to date on 02/06/2024 20:22
Studying time: 2 min The enjoyment of the Saint-Etienne gamers in opposition to Metz within the second leg play-off, June 2, 2024 on the Saint-Symphorien stadium. (FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP)
Saint-Etienne holds his ticket out of purgatory. The Greens gained their comeback in Ligue 1, Sunday June 2, in a hostile context, in Metz within the return play-off (2-2, 4-3 over the 2 matches). Olivier Dall’Oglio’s gamers needed to undergo additional time and rating within the 117th minute to get there. The newcomers Ibrahima Wadji, scorer, and Nathanaël Mbuku, passer, are the heroes of an ASSE which has been mistreated for a very long time.
In a boiling Saint-Symphorien stadium, the Stéphanois skilled a completely irrational begin to the match at their expense. After the 2-1 first leg victory, they shortly discovered themselves in an much more favorable place as they noticed their opponent change into numerically inferior after simply 5 minutes of play. Responsible of a sole on the thigh of Dennis Appiah, the younger Papa Diallo was caught by VAR and despatched off.
Whereas we thought Saint-Etienne was on the royal highway, the alternative occurred. The expulsion solely fanned the embers of Metz’s hopes. Excited, Laszlo Bölöni’s gamers took management and opened the scoring with Lamine Camara, ending on the far publish from a service from Matthieu Udol (18th). Behind, FC Metz determined to press and the inevitable Georges Mikautadze performed his half by acquiring a penalty after eliminating two gamers on the left facet. The Georgian worldwide, born within the Lyon suburbs, transformed it with the complicity of the publish (twenty fifth). Yet one more signal testifying to the entire success of the Lorraines in these first minutes. At that second, they had been just about held collectively for the primary time within the double confrontation.
Non-existent for greater than thirty minutes, the Stéphanois obtained again within the saddle on their first clear alternative, from a nook. Alone on the far publish, Léo Pétrot punished Alexandre Oukidja, staying too near his line (thirty fifth). An opportunistic objective which was sufficient to place the 2 groups stage over the 2 matches.
Helped by the accrued fatigue on the Metz facet, the Greens took the higher hand within the second interval with out realizing their domination. Nonetheless, they thought they had been taking an possibility due to Yvann Maçon, simply after the hour mark. However the referee of the match, Jérôme Brisard, determined to cancel it after consulting the VAR, contemplating a fault from Ibrahim Sissoko on Oukidja (66th), throughout a second contested choice (however validated due to the video) by the Greens after Mikautadze’s penalty.
However nothing appeared to have the ability to discourage Saint-Etienne on Sunday, not even enjoying for an extension. If the standoff lastly shifted to his facet, we should not overlook that Metz created two large possibilities on this added time. First, a formidable reflex from Gautier Larsonneur neutralized the madjer signed Kévin van der Kerkhof (98th), then Dennis Appiah tackled on the final minute in entrance of Arthur Atta a couple of meters from the objective line (108th).
We higher perceive the disillusionment of the Metz gamers when the ultimate whistle blew, some too emotional to reply journalists’ questions. There may be additionally this previous chorus well-known in Lorraine, because the FCM is experiencing its seventh relegation to the second division within the twenty first century, a document within the 5 main European championships.
