The start of the match will have been timid, even too tender. The ACA may well have “too much respect for Rennes” in the first half, as our colleagues from France Bleu Breizh Izel said, during the break.
They took it badly, in fact, since they returned a goal late at the break, conceded on a corner where an approximate placement allowed the very elegant Martin Terrier to open the scoring with a shot from the right flush with the left upright (1-0 in the 18th minute).
But in added time, a generous penalty granted by Mr. Ben El Hadj gave to Mangani chance to equalise. Transformed, the Corsican test will be that said to remove, the man in black of the meeting having, finally, not drawn the whistle, contrary to what the former Angevin thought. The second attempt will be stopped by a good Alemdar.
Romain Hamouma badly paid
After this storm, and this bronca from the stands, which were already crying outrage against the arbitration, the return from the locker room was in favor of the Bretons. But on a good left-handed shift, Thomas Mangani delivered a marvel of center -slightly deviated- for a El Idrissy unmarked. 1-1, the striker equalizes by uncrossing his head.
But the locals were able to quickly straighten the helm of the ship. On a corner also coming from the left, the Ajaccian defense in turn forgot someone in the person of the Belgian Arthur Theate. He too, but crossing his recovery of the skull, found the nets of Benjamin Leroy, from the far post. 2-1 in the 62nd minute, everything had to be done again for Olivier Pantaloni’s men.
The rest will be little by little less rhythmic, but the Ajacciens, reinforced by Nouri, Spadanuda, then Laçi, will have a better ball grip all the same. From a set piece, attempts at acéistes are sometimes dangerous, especially on a second ball swooped in by Hamouma, boxed in by the Rennes goalkeeper.
The rest of the show will be said above all by a referee overwhelmed by the tension, sometimes whistling against the current, or even forgetting to exclude F.Mayembo for an obvious foul as the last defender. The young Lesley Ogochukwu, he will not have the leniency of Mr. Ben El hadj on his first fault, receiving a direct red barely entered the game for a sole on Marchetti. Same story for Romain Salin, substitute doorman, guilty of repeated challenges.
“A defeat that leaves regrets, but we are not defeated”
“There is disappointment, because we have the feeling of having only played one half out of two”lamented O. Pantaloni facing the press. “The worst thing is to end a meeting saying that we did not do everything to obtain a result”.
Severe but fair, the ACA coach recognizes that said a good second period._“We felt that we were taking over mentally_unfortunately, Rennes’ second goal comes too quickly.” […] It’s a defeat that leaves regrets, but we’re not beaten,” finally tempered the coach.