Maxime Gonalons' early goal looked like it would give Clermont a welcome victory at Montpellier, but Téji Savanier scored a late penalty to earn the hosts a 1-1 draw in Wednesday's rescheduled Round 8 Ligue 1 Uber Eats game.
THE MATCH
The game - originally scheduled in Round 8 - was replayed following incidents late in the first encounter between the pair at the Stade de la Mosson. Montpellier were leading 4-2 at the time, and Clermont headed south clearly determined to make the most of their second chance.
Second-from-bottom of the top-flight table, Pascal Gastien's men had scored in 10 of their previous 12 away matches, and took just seven minutes to make it 11. Mory Diaw's long clearance found Muhammed Cham, and the Austria international teed up Gonalons to send a long-range effort beyond a leaden-footed Benjamin Lecomte (7').
Diaw brilliantly pawed away a Savanier shot from a similar distance to deny the home captain an equaliser (13') before Florent Ogier blocked Akor Adams' improvised goalbound flick (27'). Frustrated home coach Michel der Zakarian quickly received a second yellow card for his protests, and joined Gastien - suspended even before the match - in the stands with not even half-an-hour played (29').
The scoreline would have added to the Montpellier boss' irritation with his side coming into the match just a single point above 16th place, and barely out of reach of their opponents. A Diaw parry to keep out another Savanier drive (40') and smart stop to a Mousa Al Tamari shot (45+2') would not have helped the tempestuous Der Zakarian's mood.
Injuries to Jordan Ferri and Maxime Estève meant Montpellier had had to reshuffle in the first half, but they regrouped at the break and Clermont barely clung on to their lead as first Diaw denied Khazri and Gonalons blocked Boubakar Kouyaté's close-range follow-up (58') in a close-run-thing before the hour mark.
On it, Cham might have doubled the visitors' lead had he been able to get his powerful shot on target (60'), but they were again in danger of seeing that advantage slip when Arnaud Nordin half-volleyed goalwards - Habib Keita's goalline clearance (79') looked like it might give Clermont only their third win of the season and lift them out of the bottom three.
But they remain in the danger zone after VAR confirmed referee Florent Batta's initial decision to award a penalty after Savanier's cross struck Ogier on an arm - Savanier himself sent Diaw the wrong way from the spot (87') to earn the hosts a deserved point.
THE PLAYER: Mory Diaw
If Clermont had any thoughts of winning this game, they were only afforded that luxury by their goalkeeper, who was once again superb. The former Paris Saint-Germain youth academy prospect has had quite a circuitous route to the top, but - at the age of 30 - is playing
THE STAT: 150
This was Savanier's 150th Ligue 1 Uber Eats game, and he marked it with his 75th goal involvement, 40 of which have been goals scored himself.
