Strasbourg moved back into fifth place thanks to Kevin Gameiro's goal that gave Julien Stéphan's European competition-chasing team a 1-0 win over Brest in Brittany on Saturday.
THE MATCH
Strasbourg travelled across France from east to west knowing they needed victory to put pressure on Nice, who are playing in the Coupe de France final later in the day, and keep in the thick of the chase for fifth place. Should the Côte d'Azur outfit be beaten by Nantes at the Stade de France, sixth place in the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table would no longer qualify for European football.
Brest, however, had won four and lost one of their last six, and Michel Der Zakarian's men boasted their club's second-best ever points tally at this stage of a season, bettered only in 1986/87. When Steve Mounié headed just wide early on (3'), Strasbourg's concerns that they would be in for a bumpy ride were confirmed.
Habib Diallo started alongside Gameiro in attack with Ludovic Ajorque surprisingly confined to the substitutes' bench at kick-off — the Senegal international had the visitors' first serious effort when he saw Marco Bizot double-fist his shot away (19') after Brest had bossed the opening exchanges.
Julien Stephan's men had shown their resilience in battling back late on to salvage a draw against newly crowned champions Paris Saint-Germain last week, and they needed that resolve again early on at the Stade Francis Le Blé before the quality in their ranks started to tell.
Gameiro may be turning 35 on Monday, but the former France international striker still has an exceptional ability to put the ball in the back of the net. He very nearly did so just after the half-hour mark (33'), but after being superbly picked out by Adrien Thomasson's pass, his first-time sidefooted effort ricocheted off the crossbar.
The former PSG forward's luck appeared to be out. Shortly after the interval, he saw Bizot thwart him one-on-one (49') as Brest sought valiantly to extend their unbeaten home run to four league matches, and try and force their way into the top half of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table.
They might have had Youcef Belaïli been able to beat Matz Sels (65') shortly before Gameiro was finally rewarded for his efforts. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's ball split the home defence, and as Christophe Hérelle chased back in vain, Gameiro — after seeing Bizot parry his first attempt — steered home (72').
A VAR check proved Gameiro's run had been well-timed; the same technology then set the seal on Strasbourg's win — their first in three league games — and lifted them about Nice on goal difference as Martin Satriano was found to have been offside in the move that saw him finish from a Mounié knockdown (75').
THE PLAYER: Kevin Gameiro
Again, the class of the ex-Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla striker told, and his goal — his 11th of the league season — could be vital in earning Strasbourg European football with games at home to Clermont and away to Marseille to come.
THE STAT: 13
This was Strasbourg's first away win in Ligue 1 since 13 February when a Gameiro goal gave them a 1-0 victory at Angers.
