RC Strasbourg Alsace returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over AS Saint-Étienne, lifting themselves provisionally into fifth place and reigniting their ambitions for UEFA Champions League qualification.
The Match
It was an early scare for Strasbourg, who were caught out from a turnover. Aïmen Mouffek played in Irvin Cardona, completely unmarked in the box.
Cardona’s first-time strike was fired straight at Djordje Petrovic, but the real miss came moments later, from just a few yards out and with an open goal, Cardona somehow blasted over the bar.
Having survived that massive let-off, Liam Rosenior’s men wasted no time in punishing Saint-Étienne.
Emanuel Emegha showed great strength to fend off Loïc Nego before teeing up Diego Moreira, whose sublime outside-of-the-boot finish arrowed into the top corner.
Strasbourg came close to doubling their lead when Sébastien Nanasi struck the post, but it was Les Verts who scored next.
A raking ball down the flank from Léo Pétrot caught Ismaël Doukouré flat-footed. Zuriko Davitashvili took full advantage, bringing it down smartly before weaving past Andrew Omobamidele and Mamadou Sarr to smash the ball beyond Petrovic.
Despite the setback, Strasbourg pressed back strongly. Emegha found himself with several opportunities but failed to capitalise, most notably after being set through by Nanasi, only for Nego’s pressure to see his shot veer wide.
Later, Emegha thought he had made amends by tapping home from close range, but the referee disallowed it after Félix Lemarechal was adjudged to have fouled Moueffek in the build-up.
“Unbelievable! It’s not a foul,” protested Rosenior furiously from the touchline. Emegha wasn’t finished yet, testing Gautier Larsonneur again, but the Saint-Étienne goalkeeper stood firm.
Sainté nearly flipped the match on its head straight after the break. Cardona, trying to atone for his earlier misses, volleyed against the underside of the bar from a corner, with Mickaël Nadé failing to bundle home the rebound from point-blank range. Emegha too squandered another big chance, Maxime Bernauer getting back just in time with a vital intervention.
Before being substituted, Cardona had one more opportunity to score but again shot tamely at Petrovic.
Ultimately, Saint-Étienne’s repeated missed chances came back to haunt them. Strasbourg’s superior quality began to shine through as Moreira, having already scored once, turned provider, sliding a crisp first-time ball across to Emegha, who could hardly miss from a few yards out.
Strasbourg capped off the win with a sweeping, full-pitch move that ended in Dilane Bakwa curling a composed finish into the near post, sealing the three points.
With just three games remaining, ASSE remain trapped in the relegation zone, while Strasbourg are now fifth, level on points with fourth-placed Nice, who currently occupy the final Champions League spot.
Player Performances
Despite his involvement in Saint-Étienne’s goal, one Strasbourg defender turned things around with an assured performance.
He dominated his duel against Stassin and was a constant presence whenever the Belgian forward got near the ball. Aggressive and physically dominant, it’s the kind of display that will surely weigh in his favour as RCSA consider triggering his purchase clause.
Down the left-hand side, another Strasbourg player was electric. He overwhelmed Saint-Étienne’s backline, especially in the second half when his opponents seemed resigned to letting him waltz past unchallenged.
He capped his performance with a brilliantly taken goal and later set up Emegha for Strasbourg’s second.
Emanuel Emegha, meanwhile, had a mixed afternoon. Despite registering both a goal and an assist, he was guilty of missing several clear-cut chances.
His contribution was nonetheless vital, being involved in both of Strasbourg’s first two goals. A day of contrasts for the Dutch striker.
Irvin Cardona, one of Ligue 1’s hottest forwards recently, was shackled by the resolute Strasbourg defence, particularly Omobamidele. Before being replaced in the 80th minute, Cardona even shifted to the left flank in a bid to make an impact — but found no joy there either.
Mickaël Nadé endured a forgettable match. He was culpable for Strasbourg’s first goal, losing his footing too easily against Emegha in a duel he should have won. His woes continued after half-time when he missed a golden chance to give Saint-Étienne the lead, failing to show the courage and awareness needed to nod home from close range.
As for Cardona, his day was summed up inside the first two minutes, a glaring miss that gave Strasbourg an early reprieve.
Although he almost redeemed himself with a spectacular volley against the bar, the rest of his performance was marked by wastefulness and erratic link-up play.
