Denis Bouanga scored one and set up another as AS Saint-Etienne beat RC Strasbourg Alsace 2-0 on Saturday evening, after Montpellier Hérault SC stunned OGC Nice earlier.
AS Saint-Etienne 2-0 RC Strasbourg Alsace
THE MATCH
It was Strasbourg who threatened first at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in the big Saturday night game of Round 3, with Kenny Lala’s cross finding Majeed Waris, whose header from point-blank range was turned onto the bar by Jessy Moulin. However, Saint-Etienne looked the more likely side after that and they were eventually rewarded in the second half.
In fact it was an injury which turned out to be pivotal as Claude Puel’s side went ahead just before the hour mark. France Under-21 international forward Arnaud Nordin was forced off in the 51st minute, with Charles Abi taking his place. And the substitute was heavily involved as the hosts won a penalty shortly after that. Alexander Djiku was guilty of a handball in the box under pressure from Abi as the two players challenged for a high ball, and Bouanga emphatically converted the resulting spot-kick (57’).
Bouanga turned provider as Saint-Etienne increased their lead eight minutes from the end. The Gabon winger got away from Anthony Caci with ease before cutting the ball back from the byline for Mahdi Camara, six yards out, to fire home his first Ligue 1 Uber Eats goal.
It is a second win in as many home outings for Les Verts, for whom 19-year-old centre-back Wesley Fofana started amid reports that he is keen to join English outfit Leicester City. Meanwhile Strasbourg have now lost all three matches this season and are under some pressure to get their campaign up and running when they host Dijon FCO next weekend.
THE PLAYER: Denis Bouanga
Romain Hamouma was Saint-Etienne’s two-goal hero in their win over FC Lorient prior to the international break but here it was Bouanga who made the difference. The Gabon international underlined his importance to Puel’s side by netting the breakthrough penalty and then setting up the second goal for Mahdi Camara. He scored 10 goals in the last, curtailed Ligue 1 season despite his team’s struggles, and Les Verts will certainly need to get the best out of him again if they are to enjoy a successful campaign.
THE STAT: 3
Three games played for Strasbourg this season and three defeats. They have also conceded a penalty in each of their outings, and Thierry Laurey’s team are perhaps still feeling the after-effects of a pre-season badly impacted by a coronavirus outbreak.
Congré double for Montpellier
Montpellier ended Nice’s perfect start and got their own campaign up and running with a 3-1 win at the Stade de la Mosson, with Daniel Congré proving an unlikely hero for the home side.
Michel Der Zakarian’s men went in front in the 18th minute when Andy Delort met Arnaud Souquet’s right-wing cross with a cushioned header down for Gaëtan Laborde - wearing a mask to protect his face after breaking his nose in training recently - to score with a superb left-foot volley.
Goalkeeper Walter Benitez kept Nice in the game with several vital interventions before veteran centre-back Congré rose to head in a left-wing corner and make it 2-0 in the 50th minute. And Congré struck again in the 64th minute, converting the loose ball after Benitez had done well to keep out a thunderous Mihailo Ristic volley. It is just the second brace of Congré’s top-flight career. Now 35, his only previous brace came in October 2010.
Dante pulled one back for Nice five minutes later, but Patrick Vieira’s side could not build on their opening two victories.
