Fortunately, the twelfth man held his rank. Welcomed as if they were at home by nearly a thousand FC Nantes supporters, including 700 in the parking lot, the Canaries then had the greatest penalties in the world against Angers, this Sunday afternoon. In trouble in the first half, like Moussa Sissoko or Marcus Coco, the Yellows relied on Alban Lafont who chained the parades to bring back a lucky draw from Maine-et-Loire (0-0).
The clumsiness of Angers saved the Yellows
It might have been a rematch, but the Yellows weren’t quite ready. Their flagship recruit, Moussa Sissoko, either. To the very significant waste, the men of Antoine Kombouaré added feverishness to it, to the point of giving confidence to an Angers who made their revolution in the off-season and who landed in their redone lair without any landmarks. Without one Alban Lafont in a big day that deflected five attempts in the first actthe addition could have been tough for a Nantes who could (should?) have conceded a penalty on a hand from his number 17.
With time, we will improve and be better and better.
A bit better when they returned from the locker room, thanks in particular to a slight tactical reorganization, Evann Guessand’s teammates got themselves a very big situation. But Ludovic Blas’ sumptuous volley was taken out by Paul Bernardoni. A game of goalkeepers. And with the exception of an attempt by Nicolas Pallois on a corner, the result remained complicated for the recent winner of the Coupe de France who only owes this draw to Scoist awkwardness in the last gesture. And the form of its captain who only scooped.
“We suffered but we did not let go”
The feeling is different in the Nantes ranks. This first test in the league for the Yellow and Green ended with “a good draw” according to Antoine Kombouaré. “It’s a match where both goalkeepers were monstrousanalyzes the Kanak who is starting his sixteenth season on a Ligue 1 bench. In the first half, we suffered but we didn’t give up and we didn’t concede a goal. Then it was better, we got chances. But as always, what’s hardest is to score and we didn’t succeed. It will have to be corrected.“However, there is”no worries“, assures Nicolas Pallois.
“It’s new for them as for me but I’m not worriedconfirms Moussa Sissoko, back on French lawns after nine years of absence.With time, we will improve and be better and better. The first days are never easy but we are satisfied with this point and there are many positive things.“And a lot of corrections to be made also five days before welcoming a Lille which has made short work of Auxerre.