While they had to win to maintain hope in the Europa League, the Nantes people sank against Friborg (0-4). Find our Tops and our Flops of this meeting!
TOPS
Fribourg, a perfectly oiled machine
The Germans’ dream start to the season continues. Second in the Bundesliga, Christian Streich’s men continued their flawless performance in the Europa League by inflicting a new correction on FC Nantes, at La Beaujoire (0-4). Tactically impressive, they never broke when Nantes dominated and were surgical on the counter before taking advantage of the Canaries’ gross errors at the end of the match. Kubler (25e), Gregoritsch (71e), Damage (81e) then Jeong (87e) have built this fourth victory in as many games which allows Friborg to be qualified for the 16th finals.
Ludovic Blas was however in legs
Criticized recently by Antoine Kombouaré who claimed that his playmaker was “in difficulty”, Ludovic Blas turned out to be the best Nantes player on Thursday evening. He often made the difference in midfield, finding himself several times in a striking situation without however managing to deceive Flekken. It was obviously not enough for this match, but it is encouraging for the future. Nantes will need him at this level.
FLOPS
When it doesn’t want…
The Nantes people had put the ingredients in at the start of the meeting to deliver a great performance in front of their home crowd, but they were sorely lacking in success. First when they hit the uprights twice in the first period by Sissoko (12e) and Corchia (20e). Then when Castelletto slipped before Girotto took his goalkeeper on the wrong foot by blocking Schade’s shot on the third German goal (81e). Luck was clearly not on the side of FC Nantes this Thursday evening, even if that certainly does not entirely explain the defeat and the bad series.
Pyrotechnic show at La Beaujoire
Far be it from us to fuel the debate on the presence of smoke bombs in stadiums, but it turns out that they are factually sanctioned. And following the multiple ignitions this evening from Nantes supporters, the club should receive at least a fine, at worst one or more behind closed doors. Not really what Antoine Kombouaré’s men need in this bad patch…