Stade Brestois overthrew Clermont on Sunday to ensure its survival in the top flight. At the top of the table, Rennes was a hit on the lawn of Ajaccio and remains in the race for Europe.
After the stunning victory of Lyon against Monaco Friday (3-1), and Lille’s capital success against Olympique de Marseille (2-1) on Saturday, Stade Rennes had no room for error in Ajaccio, Sunday May 21, to stay in the race for Europe. At lunchtime, Bruno Génésio’s men made short work of the Corsican club (5-0). The 36th day of Ligue 1 ended continued in the afternoon, with four matches on the programme.
Stade brestois validated its maintenance thanks to its victory against Clermont (2-1), while Strasbourg came closer by winning a draw at Troyes (1-1). Nice and Reims were also content with a parity score, respectively facing Toulouse (0-0) and Angers (2-2).
Relief: mission accomplished for Brest
At the end of the first forty very average minutes, everything settled just before the break for Stade Brestois. After the opener from Clermontois Neto Borges (43rd), the Bretons left no room for doubt, Franck Honorat equalizing from the kick-off (45th). Galvanized, the band of Éric Roy regained the advantage as soon as they returned from the locker room, thanks to Steve Mounié’s sixth achievement in Ligue 1 this season (48th).
With 7 points ahead of the red zone two days from the end, Stade Brestois has ensured its maintenance in the elite. FC Nantes, depressed by Montpellier on Saturday (0-3), remains first relegated with 33 points, just behind Auxerre (34 points), which receives Paris Saint-Germain, at 9 p.m.
The revelation: the nugget Habib Diarra shows the way in Strasbourg
At the Racing Club de Strasbourg, the Habibs make it rain and shine. When it is not Diallo, author of 20 goals this season in Ligue 1 (5 in the last four days), it is the French midfielder, Habib Diarra, who is causing a sensation with Alsatian supporters. Pure product of the Strasbourg formation, the 19-year-old scored a sensational goal in Troyes, before seeing his team resumed in the last quarter of an hour of play.
Starting from his own camp with the ball at his feet, Habib Diarra took advantage of the laxity of the Trojan rearguard to break through half the field, before sending a light shot 30 m from the opposing goal.
Installed to the right of the attack Strasbourg, the training midfielder is the second most decisive RCSA player in 2023 (3 goals, 2 assists), behind Habib Diallo (13 goals, 2 assists). To ensure definitively its maintenance, Strasbourg must at least get a point in the last two days against PSG or Lorient.
Confirmation: once again decisive, Amine Gouiri keeps Rennes in the race for Europe
If he showed up again “a bit cyclical, with very good periods and less good ones”, as Bruno Génésio pointed out at a press conference a few weeks earlier, Amine Gouiri is having the most prolific season of his career (14 goals in L1). Author of his first hat-trick in Ligue 1, Sunday in Ajaccio, the striker trained at Olympique Lyonnais allowed Stade Rennes to stay in the fight for fifth place, synonymous with qualification for the Europa League conference, currently occupied by Losc .
Bought from OGC Nice at the very end of the 2022 summer transfer window, the 23-year-old French hopeful landed in Brittany with the heavy task of making people forget Gaëtan Laborde, who took him the opposite way to the Riviera club. Despite a season on alternating current, Amine Gouiri fulfilled his role by being decisive, in the game and at the finish.