With three games to go, ASSE move up to second place!

Boosted by a superb run of form that has seen them win four of their last four matches, the U19 Nationals are determined to keep up their good form and aim for the play-offs, which will be theirs if they finish top of their group. Against Colomiers, in 9th place, Les Verts were enterprising. Medhy Lutin Zidee was lively on the left flank and his crosses came close to finding the net. But the Stéphanois and the visitors went into the break on a goalless draw. After the break, the Ligue 1 coach was forced to make a number of changes to manage playing time following the return from injury. Fodé Camara and Medhy Lutin Zidee were replaced by Farès Ben Rahem and Yanis Mimoun respectively. During the second half, Colomiers caused the Les Verts more problems, but this was a team with values, and in a period of stoppage time, Sonny Yvars, who had come on earlier, opened the scoring for his side (ASSE 1-0 Colomiers, 75th). ASSE managed to hold on to their lead at the end of the game, which moved them up to second place in the table after Marseille's draw.

The coach's reaction

There's no such thing as a small victory, especially when you're in the race for the play-offs. I think we had a good first half where we had chances and did some interesting things, and a second half that was slower and more difficult to get the ball out. I think the reason it went the way it did was because of the quality of Colomiers. They were a team that surprised me in terms of the way they got the ball out and the way they played, and that made things difficult for us. But we reacted well because we scored in our weakest moments. That shows that our team has character,’ commented Frédéric Dugand after the match.

The game sheet

U19 National - Matchday 23 (pool D)
Sunday 6 April at L'Etrat
ASSE 1-0 Colomiers
Half-time score: 0-0
Goal : Yvars (75th) for ASSE
ASSE: Derache - Achour, Boukadida, Camara (then Ben Rahem, 46th), Grillot - Tatuszka, Depalle (then Guerroudj, 59th), Eymard - Lutin Zidee (then Mimoun, 46th), Konte, Ben Tiba (then Yvars, 59th). Coach: Frédéric Dugand.