Auxerre snatch a draw against Saint-Etienne in the Ligue 1/Ligue 2 first leg play-off

The game: 1-1

Determined to redeem themselves after a pitiful season in which they caused disappointment after disappointment to their supporters – however still present in large numbers in Yonne despite the travel ban (more than a thousand in the center of Auxerre) – the Greens have long taken a good option for maintaining Ligue 1 this Thursday. Pascal Dupraz’s players indeed led for most of the match during the first leg play-off at Abbé-Deschamps against AJ Auxerre, survivor of the Ligue 2 pre-play-offs. But they did not go the distance. , and AJA snatched the equalizer by former Lyonnais Gaëtan Perrin, in the 87th minute (1-1). Everything is still open for the return, Sunday at Geoffroy-Guichard (7 p.m.).

Faced with several malformations in his workforce, including that of his captain Wahbi Khazri, the Saint-Etienne coach Pascal Dupraz tried a daring bet at Abbé-Deschamps, with a modification of the system and strong choices. Exit the five-man defense, and switch to 4-2-3-1 with Adil Aouchiche in support of Enzo Crivelli, winter reinforcement tenured for the first time with ASSE. After a biting start, illustrated by the races of the bison Crivelli, Saint-Étienne was rewarded on a counter, concluded by Zaydou Youssouf, precise with a curled shot from the left from the entrance to the surface, despite the pressing of Théo Pellenard (15th).

However, the pressure from Saint-Etienne did not last long. Auxerre could have come back quickly without two big saves from the Greens goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni in front of the elusive Mathias Autret, first on his free kick (24th) then on the ground on a placed shot (27th). And if Denis Bouanga had a break point, removed by Donovan Léon (40th), AJA had other cartridges to equalize. Gauthier Hein notably found the small net (44th), while Autret did not catch the frame (56th).

Dupraz made four changes before the 65th minute, to spare tired men including Crivelli, author of a good match, and ASSE almost made the break, on opportunities from Camara (71st) and Khazri (80th). But the Auxerrois, pushed by their boiling stadium, ended up taking advantage of an electric and indecisive end to the match to snatch a draw. Entering the hour mark, Gaëtan Perrin, trained at OL (see below), freed the stadium with a good sequence in front of Trauco in the area, on an opening from Birama Touré (87th). If the away goal rule prevails in these play-offs and therefore offers a slight advantage to Saint-Étienne who scored outside his bases, the return to Geoffroy-Guichard on Sunday promises to be epic.

The fact: Perrin, a pure Lyon product frustrates the Greens

As if to add frustration to the Greens, it was a former Lyonnais who equalized this Thursday at Abbé-Deschamps, with a heavy shot from the left under the bar: Gaëtan Perrin. Trained at OL, where he remained from 2005 to 2017, the attacking midfielder did great damage in the defense of the Greens. “It’s a goal that gives us a lot of hope. 1-1 is an extra soul, we will go with very long teeth to the Cauldron”, he commented on beIN Sports, adding that scoring against ASSE had a special flavor for him.

The player: Aouchiche, at the right time

Holder only eleven times this season in Ligue 1, with some flashes but also a lot of waste, Adil Aouchiche did not completely manage to get rid of his inconstancy this Thursday, but he was decisive. Positioned in number 10, behind Enzo Crivelli, the former Parisian, not expected in the starting lineup, created several shifts in the icaunaise defense. If he could not take back a center from Arnaud Nordin, in extension (3rd), his ball recovery and his shift in the right timing allowed Zaydou Youssouf to open the scoring.

After his fifth assist of the season, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder almost followed up by launching Nordin, taken back (27th), and was in turn countered by Jubal on a shot (30th). Less visible after the break, he was replaced by Ryad Boudebouz (65th).