If last season, Clermont Foot 63 had created the feat by winning 2-0 at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille, the men of Pascal Gastien failed to repeat this performance.
And if the score of 1-0 (Goal by Pape Gueye in the 49th minute) does not reveal the extent of the domination of the vice-champion of France, Clermont finally came very close to a draw.
However, in the first period, Clermont was suffocated, and did not exist on the offensive level with zero shot (against 14 at OM). With a strike on the bar Valentin Ronnierand a double amount found by Nuno Tavaresthe Auvergnats resisted somehow to reach the break with the score of 0-0.
But from the start of the second half, Mory Diaw made his only mistake on the first corner. A hesitant exit, and it’s the Senegalese midfielder Pope Gueye who finally found the opening at the far post.
A unique three-defender system
With this late goal, Clermont then showed a little more enterprising while remaining solid on its bases with a new system with three central defenders. It is also on a set piece, that Muhammad Cham first found the crossbar of Paul Lopezbefore Yohan Magnin do the same when the ball lands in the penalty area.
But if Clermont came close to equalizing on this action, the Auvergne club could also have conceded a second goal at the end of the game, if Mory Diaw had not deflected a penalty shot by Alexis Sanchez.
If Clermont therefore concedes a second loss in a row on the move, the CF63 still remains in the calm waters of the championship in the standings with a 12th place (6 dots).
But the first relegation is approaching and Clermont Foot only has a two small point lead over Brest, before receiving the promoted Toulouse on Sunday at the Gabriel-Montpied stadium.
A meeting which will obviously be to follow on France Blue Country of Auvergne from 2:45 p.m., live and in full, with comments fromEmmanuel Moreau and Thierry Coutard.