DAMIEN MEYER / AFP
The Brestois were like children on Thursday evening, celebrating this first victory in the Champions League in front of the 15,000 supporters who came to support them.
FOOTBALL – A successful jump into the deep end. For its very first match in the Champions League, and even in the European Cup, this Thursday, September 19, Stade Brestois won a first victory in style against the Austrians of Sturm Graz. A success (2-1) gleaned with audacity, courage and combativeness.
Relocated to Guingamp for this first match ” at home ” (their Francis Le Blé stadium is not approved for the Champions League), Eric Roy’s men rose to the occasion, playing without complexes and putting the right mix of application and madness to secure this victory. Especially since Eric Roy had made strong choices at kick-off, starting Soumaïla Coulibaly, the young 20-year-old defender on loan from Borussia Dortmund, who had only played 16 minutes with his new team at the time.
A successful bet, therefore, which heralds great things for the rest of the European journey of the Finistériens, determined to take advantage of every second of the legendary competition.
To face a team much more experienced than them and who play in a compact defensive block, the Brestois had a simple game plan, consisting of using the long game to find the heads of Ludovic Ajorque or Abdallah Sima and thus break the Austrian pressure.
However, Brest did not control everything. And they even had some real weak moments, around the half-hour mark, then in the heart of the second half. This is how they were notably caught in the score even though they had struck first. Faced with the very rough play of Sturm Graz, who received six yellow cards, including one that turned red, but also extremely fast in the offensive transitions, they were even sometimes on the limit. The Austrian equalizer was also the result of these faults. And probably a little bout of naivety.
« I don’t have much to reproach them for”
In a Roudourou stadium where the 15,000 Brest supporters seem to have already found their marks, the Bretons demonstrated a realism that is valuable at this level of the competition by scoring twice without creating many chances.
The first goal, a half-volley from Hugo Magnetti, at the edge of the area, on a long throw-in from Kenny Lala poorly pushed back by Graz, was a masterpiece (1-0). The second, on a deflection from Ajorque to Sima, allowed the Senegalese to double the lead with an acrobatic shot on a pivot from six meters (2-1). Enough to definitively put his team ahead on the scoreboard.
A victory that is part of the great first day for French clubs for the resumption of the Champions League. After PSG, winner of Girona thanks to a goal in the last minute (1-0), and therefore Brest, Monaco also won this Thursday, overcoming Barça (2-1). Among the French teams, only Lille lost Tuesday to Sporting Portugal (0-2).
And this first can give the Bretons hope of a good run. Like coach Eric Roy, who hopes that “the best is yet to come” for his team. They have already given me so much last year, that imagining that we could make this state of grace last a little longer, it’s true that it wasn’t easy. ” he said after the victory. “But this evening again, they were there, they gave their all, and as much in the content as in the performance, I have little to reproach them for.”
The next meeting of the Brestois is set for October 1st for a trip to Austria which promises to be tougher this time against Red Bull Salzburg. The Bretons will then continue on October 23rd against one of the best European teams last season: Bayer Leverkusen.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.fr
