What if Saint-Etienne, barely in Ligue 1, saved his season thanks to the Coupe de France? The Greens suffered but shattered (2-1) the dream of Epinal, resident of National 2 (4th Division), this Thursday at the Marcel-Picot stadium in Nancy. Saint-Etienne will receive the title holder, Rennes on March 3 or 4 for a place at the Stade de France.
What you must remember
Saint-Etienne has often been abused by a catchy team from Épinal. After several alerts in front of Ruffier's goals, Bouanga, well offset by Honorat, addresses a curled strike that touches the transverse before deceiving into Idir skylight (0-1, 37th). On a center of Debuchy, Camara continues cushioning of the chest followed by a cross strike, to shelter the Greens (0-2, 58th). But after the penaly transformed by the striker of Épinal, Krasso (1-2, 62nd), the team of Claude Puel suffered until the end. Despite their generosity and several situations in the area, the Vosges have not managed to wrest the equalizer.
Man of the Match: Mahdi Camara
Recognizable by his mask protecting his fractured nose, the 21-year-old midfielder had a full game. In front, behind, he was everywhere. A big performance embellished by his goal which allowed Saint-Etienne to make the break in a very complicated match.
The Number: 27
It has been 27 years since Saint-Etienne had not played in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France in its Geoffroy-Guichard stadium. The last time was in 1993 against Nantes. If the Greens had already reached the semi-finals in 2015, they had played at the Parc des Princes and bowed against PSG.
The reaction
“It was not easy, Épinal is a great team that really pushed us to our limits. But the most important thing is to win. Personally, I'm happy to come back and score a goal. This victory will do us good, now we must continue in the league. But we are happy to offer this semi-final to our supporters at home, ”savored Mahdi Camara, middle of Saint-Etienne.
#SASASSE 1-2 Final whistle!
⚽️ @BouangaDenis
⚽️ @mahdi_camara pic.twitter.com/afnxNYrJZv