Thanks to a magnificent free kick by Wylan Cyprien, the Gym continues its forward march and climbs to fifth place, level with Nantes.
His last goal at the Allianz Riviera was a monstrous strike that cleaned out the Stéphanoise top corner. A sublime free kick from 20 meters out, which Ruffier touched without being able to deflect, marked his return home. Without a doubt, Wylan Cyprien has found his footing again, entering through the grand entrance reserved for artists. His first half was so beautiful that his decisive move felt imminent. It arrived in the 22nd minute, with a wonder that reminded all the Nice supporters of his goal at Parc des Princes.
Positioned in front of the defense, as a “box to box” sentinel in Lucien Favre’s 4-3-3, the former RC Lens captain made everything simpler, just like in the good old days. Following his lead, the Gym displayed a very attractive face in the first half, before defending their points with determination.
Before the local opening score, St-Etienne, with its winter recruits (M’Vila, Ntep and Beric), displayed good intentions and a real desire to play. Benitez watched from the start as a strike from Beric flirted with his crossbar (2’), then punched away a volley from Ntep (18’), and the Eagles gradually began to weave their web. Using the finest thread making up the fabric of football: movement. A thread they fortified with sweat during the second half.
During the first 45 minutes, after a quarter-hour of green domination, Dante’s teammates put their boots on the ball. They made their opponents run from right to left. This had the merit of exhausting a team in doubt, without quite plunging their head underwater.
In terms of chances, the Gym supporters didn’t have much to savor apart from their No. 25’s goal. A shot too high by Seri – which capped off a great period of possession – and a powerful one from 30 meters out by Super Mario from an impossible angle – which Ruffier was grateful to see go by – nonetheless sent a shiver of pleasure down the local spine.
An outstanding tackle by Dante in front of Cabella, who took advantage of a missed pass by Makengo (who came on for the injured Saint-Maximin) preserved the lead for the men of the Coast. They returned to the field after the break eager to quickly secure their position. Starting from midfield, Patrick Burner invented a brilliant slalom, sidestepped 4 opponents, and concluded his movement with a shot deflected just over by Ruffier (48’).
The action brought the crowd to their feet and confirmed that the young fullback is gaining momentum with each appearance. This was reinforced by his defensive performance without a false note. His chemistry with Srarfi – who quickly replaced Plea, suffering from back pain – continued to be one of the highlights of the red and black board. The Tunisian winger, after making Gabriel Silva dance, attempted to find the opposite top corner of Ruffier, but was thwarted by Perrin’s head, just before the hour mark (55’).
This was nearly the last offensive spark from the Azurites. Apart from another raid from Srarfi that ended with a shot over the bar, the locals focused on defending in the last half hour. Hamouma thought he had equalized but was ultimately flagged offside (71’), and Gasset deployed all his offensive weapons (Hamouma, Bamba, Soderlund), but the local block did not crack.
Built around its Dante-Sarr axis, which was strong in all aspects this Sunday, it remained steadfast.
With 5 wins and 2 draws since the Toulouse trigger, the Gym returns to level with Nantes (5th in Ligue 1) this Sunday.
LUCIEN FAVRE’S REACTION: We win, that’s what’s important. It’s not undeserved for the entire match because we controlled the game in the first half. In the second, we endured more pressure, it’s true, there was fatigue. With the ball recovery, there weren’t enough forward runs. You also have to be ready to counter on each ball, otherwise the opponent isn’t afraid and settles in. At the start of the match, we moved them well, destabilized them. We have work to do, but we mustn’t forget that today we fielded a very young team.
JEAN-PIERRE RIVERE’S REACTION: We win, that’s what’s important. It’s not undeserved for the entire match because we controlled the game in the first half. In the second, we endured more pressure, it’s true, there was fatigue. With the ball recovery, there weren’t enough forward runs. You also have to be ready to counter on each ball, otherwise the opponent isn’t afraid and settles in. At the start of the match, we moved them well, destabilized them. We have work to do, but we mustn’t forget that today we fielded a very young team.
