Angers – Brest: in Ligue 1, a Stade Brestois with two faces

Statistics is a paradox. This season, Stade Brestois has won more in three Champions League matches away from home (two successes, in Salzburg then in Prague) than in eight trips to Ligue 1 (a victory in Reims). Even more telling than the figures, the pitiful face of the Finistère team displayed on Sunday in Angers, after other exits in Auxerre (3-0) or Montpellier (3-1), raises questions.

A black series on the move

“Away, we often came away with few points. It was a bit of the key word in the coach’s talk,” revealed ex-Angevin Mathias Pereira Lage after the meeting. Éric Roy elaborated: “My first sentence was: “Tonight, we want to maintain the dynamic and I only ask one thing of you, that is to be at our level.” And we largely weren’t. » Bitter observation that of the coach of a team having shot and put on target almost twice as many as his opponent. When the final whistle blew, it was difficult to remember a real big situation in favor of the Rouge et Blanc.

The series of four away defeats, a first since 2019, will stand the test of time. Like the poor performance of a team with such a copious menu this winter. The authority of a sovereign club at Francis-Le Blé seemed very distant at the Raymond-Kopa stadium, rather witnessing repeated bad readings on the Brest side, as well as technical accuracy that too often left something to be desired.

Led, Brest still remains at the dock

As too often, the sight of a lonely Lepaul between Chardonnet, Fernandes and Lala very quickly shifted the opponent into the lead (1-0, 6′). “Every time there is a first action against us, it is a goal,” lamented Hugo Magnetti. This will have to be remedied. » Not to mention this unfortunate tendency to systematically lose after suffering the opener in Ligue 1 (eight times this season, the only team in the championship in this case).

Led without being manhandled, the Brestois held the ball (62% possession), without managing to keep it alive. Before burying themselves for good in added time, on Angevin’s second shot on target, coming from a new center (2-0, 90’+5). “On the centers, we forgot to follow the guys,” Roy could complain. “We knew that it was a team that played a lot on the flanks, while putting a lot of density, in a low block,” Magnetti pointed out. We had to find more combinations, more technical accuracy in the last gesture. That wasn’t the case. »

“We were well below what we are capable of doing,” insisted a frustrated Éric Roy. Stade Brestois knows its strengths, and survives in the middle of the Ligue 1 table thanks to its good home record (two points per match on average). It would be better not for this solidity at Le Blé to begin to waver.

The technical sheet

Arbitrator : Mr. Millot.

Spectators : 12,103.

GOALS. Angers: Lepaul (6′), Niane (90′ + 5).

Warnings. Angers: Allevinah (9′), Aholou (45’+ 1). Brest: Haïdara (31′).

ANGERS : Fofana – Arcus, Biumla, Lefort, Hanin – Aholou (Capelle, 76′), Belkebla – Allevinah (Ferhat, 66′), Abdelli (cap), El Melali (Raolisoa, 76′) – Lepaul (Niane, 76′) . Coach: Alexandre Dujeux.

Not entered into play: Zinga (g), Ekomié, Bamba, Belkhdim, Dieng.

BREST : Bizot – Lala, Chardonnet (cap), Ndiaye, Haïdara – Camara (Pereira Lage, 83′), Fernandes, Magnetti (Doumbia, 63′) – Del Castillo (Faivre, 73′), Ajorque (Salah, 73′), Sima (Baldé, 63′). Coach: Éric Roy.

Not entered into play: Coudert (g), Zogbé, Amavi, Pereira Lage, Camblan.