Saint-Étienne (AFP)

The only Verde scorer Sunday against Monaco (1-0), Denis Bouanga is becoming more and more the spearhead of the attack on Saint-Etienne, who plays his future in the Europa League Thursday in Ukraine against Olexandriya. A few years after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a Gabonese shines in the Cauldron.

After a defeat at La Gantoise (3-2) and two draws against Wolfsburg (1-1) and Olexandriya (1-1), the Greens, 3rd in Group I at three lengths of Ghent and Wolsburg, have to win for stay in the race for qualification for the round of 32.

"Nothing is finished in this group and we will do everything to win," promised Bouanga Sunday.

And given his state of form, coach Claude Puel can count on his striker recruited this summer and became top scorer on the team with Romain Hamouma (3 goals).

The former Nîmes is one of the basic men of the renewal of the ASSE, whether aligned at kickoff or substitute, as in the first leg against the Ukrainians, during which he had brought his dynamism in the second period.

"There is more demand and the cards have been redistributed with the arrival of the new coach.Everyone puts the ingredients to pick up points and move up the ranking of League 1. It gives a new team that is not the beginning of the season, "said the interested after the victory over Monaco.

In terms of recruitment, the ASSE has not always had a hollow nose and also loses a lot of energy to reclassify players marked by the failure of their stay in the Forez.

- An acrobatics worthy of "Aubame" -

Arriving this summer from Nîmes where he played only one season, for a transfer of 4.5 million euros, Denis Bouanga (25 years) is however imposed as one of the great satisfaction among the summer recruits.

In addition to his goal against Monaco, he also gave the victory to the Greens on October 20 in Bordeaux by transforming without shaking a penalty late in the game (1-0).

He then reported on "the impeccable state of mind, the requirement and the trust" brought by Puel.

The club remains on a series of seven games without defeat (4 wins and three draws), including two under the ephemeral Ghislain Printant, relying more on his defense of iron than on a prolific attack.

Despite this, Bouanga does not hide "being very happy with his choice to come to a legendary club", encouraged by the advice of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in whose footsteps he intends to walk.

Like Gabon's international, Aubameyang now plays Arsenal after playing 62 games (31 goals) with the Greens between 2011 and 2013 before being transferred to Borussia Dortmund.

When he had equalized against Brest (1-1) last August, Bouanga even allowed himself an acrobatics of the same vein as that of his compatriot to celebrate his goal.

Since then, the native of Le Mans (15 caps, 4 goals), passed by Lorient, Strasbourg where he was national champion (3rd div.) In 2016, Tours (L2) then Nimes, has really taken its marks.

Auspicious before facing Olexandriya hoping to build on the confidence that begins to animate the Greens, undefeated since September 29, to gain offensive efficiency.

"That's what we miss," he admits.

© 2019 AFP