FC NANTES 5-3 FC LORIENT 

THE MATCH

It was FC Lorient who were quick to mount the pressure on the home side, and found the back of the net inside the ten-minute mark through their young breakthrough star Eli Junior Kroupi (6’). The 17-year-old found himself on the end of Vincent Le Goff’s pinpoint cross from the left to head home his first professional goal for Les Merlus.

The tactical chess-match was on full show, with Le Bris’ Lorient playing the ball patiently out from the back - and Pierre Arristouy urging the home side to press high and disrupt the passing lanes between the opposing back three and the two free-playing midfielders of Abergel and Ponceau for Lorient. The pressing paid-off on occasion, with Moses Simon’s rampage into the box not met with a sufficient killer’s finish (20’), several more half-chances came the way of Les Canaris, yet the finish and precision was nowhere to be found. 

Arristouy’s side grew back into the game before the end of the first half, and Douglas Augusto came close. Yet, his first-time strike from the edge of the box was saved smartly by the Swiss international goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo. The pressure finally paid off as Matthis Abline popped up a goal on his first start of the season for Nantes (42’). The Frenchman was fed by Simon, before a deft turn, touch, and finish from the 28-year-old to level up proceedings before the break.

Cömbert dramatically added to the list of players scoring their first goals, with a powerful header from a corner just one minute after play resumed to pull the home side ahead in front of a delighting Tribune Loire (46’). Nantes almost went two ahead minutes later, but for a smart save for the deputising Descamps. The scenario of the first half suddenly flipped on its head - now Lorient were chasing the game, as Nantes' direct-attacking approach appeared to pay dividends. 

Mostufa Mohamed then turned the match further in Les Canaris’ favour with a rocket of a free-kick struck from 30 yards out (55’). The technique was perfect - the ball was hit with pace, venom, and precision to fly past Mvogo into the top-right corner. 

Lorient were evidently impacted by the two goals, but a triple substitution saw a new-found impetus on the part of Les Merlus. It took until the 76th minute for Romain Faivre to find the back of the net, with a driving run into the box and a strike to bring his side back into the game at 3-2.

Nantes scored once again as Simon threatened with a defender-twisting run creating a tight space for a square pass for Mollet to finish off the move, and restore the two-goal advantage. It was instantly cut down once again, as Tosin dragged Les Merlus back into the affair with a lofted finish following some quick combinations from Benjamin Mendy and Faivre once more (85’).

The Breton side then pushed desperately for an equaliser, with Touré's towering header coming ever-so close. Yet, it led to a final twist as Nantes stormed forward on the counter attack and Mohamed was fouled in the box for a penalty. The emphatic Simon dispatched with ease to top off a goal-crazy spectacle at the Beaujoire (99').

Simon encapsulated everything that went well for Nantes in the second half. He was direct in attack, and constantly posed a threat down the right side. He was pivotal in Albine’s equaliser, as well as Mollet’s effort late on. He deservedly got his goal with a calm strike from the penalty spot, topping off a sensational afternoon for the Nigerian international.

THE STAT

Eli Junior Kroupi (17 years and 92 days old) became the youngest FC Lorient goal scorer in Ligue 1 Uber Eats. The previous holder was former France youth international Valent Lavinge, who scored aged 20 years and 67 days against AS Monaco in 2014.

>>One to Watch: Mostafa Mohamed