Green energy: three goals from Romain Hamouma, Arnaud Nordin and Wahbi Khazri enabled Saint-Etienne to snatch a deserved victory (3-1) at the expense of Montpellier, Saturday February 5 at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium . A success at the end of a match of the 23rd day of Ligue 1 that the Greens, ultra combative, totally dominated. While waiting for Sunday’s matches, the Stéphanois temporarily give up last place in Lorient and move up to 19th place.
The Montpellier residents have long hoped for a victory that would have taken them to 4th place in the standings where they remain in 6th place. They quickly opened the scoring through Sepe Elye Wahi who victoriously took over at the near post a cross delivered from the right wing by defender Arnaud Souquet in the 11th minute.
Subsequently, Montpellier displayed a fine defensive organization coupled with great solidarity highlighted by the performance of goalkeeper Jonas Omlin. The latter, until he gave up his place through injury in the 69th, was decisive on two shots in quick succession from Denis Bouanga (35), two attempts from Wahbi Khazri (37, 49) or even Arnaud Nordin ( 66).
After hiring seven players in the transfer window, Saint-Etienne coach Pascal Dupraz had lined up three of them at kick-off: goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni, defenders Falaye Sacko and Eliaquim Mangala while striker Sada Thioub entered the club. hour of play (58).
But it was above all the players who came off the bench, Romain Hamouma and Arnaud Nordin, who came on in the 58th minute for the first and in the 70th for the second, who were decisive under the incredible pressure of a Cauldron audience in boiling.
Hamouma, back from injury, equalized with a shot in the skylight (82) before Nordin deceived Dimitry Bertaud with a curled shot from the right after having transplanted from the left to the right (90). Finally, Wahbi Khazri, back from the CAN, brought the score to 3-1 by taking over at the far post a center delivered from the left wing by Nordin, again him (90 + 3).
90th: OLALAAAAAAA
3-1 #ASSEMHSC pic.twitter.com/VhV58xlRrY
– AS Saint-Etienne (@ASSEofficiel) February 5, 2022
With this second consecutive success in the league after that obtained in Angers (1-0), on January 26 in a late match, they come back to two points behind Bordeaux and Troyes (17th and 16th), the first two non-relegated.