For coach Claude Puel's 600th Ligue 1 Uber Eats match as a coach, Saint-Etienne's youngsters managed to do what no other Les Verts side have done since 1979 - win in Marseille. Understandably, the Sainté boss was rather pleased.
Marseille's unbeaten run at home to Saint-Etienne was longer than with any other Ligue 1 Uber Eats club - 26 matches (22 wins, four draws) over a stunning 41 years, but on Thursday night Claude Puel's charges marked their coach's 600th Ligue 1 Uber Eats match as coach by finally bucking the trend. A determined performance by the whole team was capped by strikes from Romain Hamouma and Denis Bouanga for an historic 2-0 win at the Orange Vélodrome.
Young guns do the job
True to his reputation for emphasising youth development and giving young talent a chance, Puel's squad is the sixth-youngest in Ligue 1 Uber Eats. However, the on-field average age dropped even further as he handed league debuts to Aimen Moueffek (19) and Nelson Alpha Sissoko (23) - as well as giving Lucas Gourna-Douath (17) his second top flight appearance - off the bench.
"I am happy for these kids, for this gang of youths surrounded by experienced players. They have been rewarded," said Puel, who sits sixth on the all-time list of most experienced Ligue 1 Uber Eats coaches. "Some of them were even making their Ligue 1 debut tonight."
Puel: 'Very promising'
But it wasn't all plain sailing for Puel's side, whose character was tested by a Marseille outfit still flying high after breaking a ten-year hoodoo against PSG at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night.
"We started this match very well by scoring a superb goal. We had some situations to score a second but then the exit of Mathieu [Debuchy, injured in the ninth minute] confused us a little bit; we lacked serenity and we lost possession stupidly. We put Marseille back in the game," said Puel, who saw Marseille youngster Marley Aké crash a point-blank shot off Jessy Moulin's cross-bar. "We were lucky not to concede the equaliser, but we gave everything we had and, with courage, we doubled our lead. It was a lively match. Three victories and three clean sheets: that's not nothing. My team is in good shape, and it's very promising."
Table-topping Saint-Etienne now look to maintain their perfect start to the season away to FC Nantes on Sunday evening.
>> MATCH REPORT: Saint-Etienne sink Marseille to maintain perfect start