Samba and Lecomte decisive, Adams and Wahi clumsy… The tops and the flops

2023-12-09 01:00:44

Brice Samba won his duel against Akor Adams. Valentina Claret / Panoramic / Valentina Claret / Valentina Claret / Panoramic / Valentina Claret

Despite several clear chances, Montpellier and Lens held each other in check (0-0) this Friday, at the opening of the 15th day of Ligue 1.

Tops

Neil El Aynaoui still convincing

Already among the best Lensois against Marseille and Clermont, the young Moroccan midfielder once again showed his talent and personality this evening at Mosson. In the midfield with Salis Abdul Samed, the player trained in Nancy shone with his technical accuracy and his desire to play forward. It was he who perfectly launched Elye Wahi, beaten in his one-on-one by Benjamin Lecomte. El Aynaoui, very comfortable and mobile, could even have obtained a penalty at the end of the game on a high Montpellier foot. An action which would have relieved the Sang et Or, ultimately held in check by the MHSC (0-0).

Samba and Lecomte did the job

Despite two great scares, one of which was caused by a very risky exit, Brice Samba held the Lens house thanks to two necessary stops in front of Adams in the second half and well-controlled aerial exits. Same observation for the Montpellier doorman, Benjamin Lecomte, author of a performance without a false note. Decisive against Elye Wahi, the former Monegasque made the save he needed to keep the draw point. Who says goalkeepers at the party necessarily means attackers lacking success…

Mousa Al-Tamari deserved better

The Jordanian, hit in the thigh, left in the 55th minute (replaced by Kelvin Yeboah). A frustration for Montpellier and the show as its first period was interesting. A permanent danger behind the Lens defense, the 26-year-old striker has constantly proposed solutions. Until delivering an excellent goal ball to Enzo Tchato, too altruistic at the end of the first period. After Al-Tamari’s injury, the MHSC sector found itself destitute, with only Akor Adams trying to make a difference.

Flops

Akor Adams and Elye Wahi, same fight

The last links of the two chains, the numbers 9 symbolized the waste of the evening in the last gesture. 31 shots were attempted at La Mosson (18 to 13 for Montpellier) for only 7 on target (4 to 3 for Montpellier). And the clearest opportunities came from Adams and Wahi, disgusted in their duels by Samba and Lecomte. Back on the pitch of his training club, the Lensois had victory at his fingertips with three clear situations (36th, 38th, 60th). And what can we say about the Montpellier player, generous to the end but clumsy in the zone of truth (69th, 87th). The 0-0 takes on meaning when the official scorers remain in check.

Adrien Thomasson didn’t weigh much

Aligned in support of Wahi, the French attacking midfielder went through the meeting in a very discreet manner, just like David Pereira da Costa. Too little in the face of the game, technically borrowed, the ex-Strasbourger did not help his team to escape the Mosson quagmire. He was logically replaced in the 65th minute by Wesley Saïd. The newcomer tried to shake the coconut palm with Angelo Fulgini but it was not enough. The Lens attack will not have shown enough to achieve a fourth consecutive success in Ligue 1.