Strasbourg (AFP)

Strasbourg, who came back to score twice, snatched a draw (2-2) against a solid team from Metz in the Eastern derby and pulled out of the relegation zone on Sunday during the 14th day of L1.

Stuck at the back of the peloton since the start of the championship, the Alsatians left the red zone for the first time this season and climbed to sixteenth place with 11 points.

Metz, who has not won for five matches, will have had the merit of keeping a direct opponent at bay.

But with still a missed penalty, like last Sunday against Lyon (1-3), the Garnets may have regrets, especially since they led twice.

They remain in thirteenth place with 17 units on the clock but leave Alsace a little more reassured after two consecutive defeats.

Positioned in 4-2-3-1 as in Nantes, where they had a hit last weekend (4-0), the Strasbourg residents quickly took the game to their own without being dangerous.

Alexander Djiku (12), Mehdi Chahiri (27) then Habib Diallo (28) each missed the frame.

Situations but no occasions.

Quite the opposite for Metz, who on his first real situation, took the advantage.

On a cross from Fabien Centonze, Mohamed Simakan turned his arm around the recovery of Warren Tchimbembé: the penalty was transformed by the Tunisian international Dylan Bronn (0-1, 35th).

At the start of the second period, Metz obtained a second penalty validated by referee François Letexier, after consulting the VAR, on a new hand from Simakan against Tchimbembé.

The same actors but not the same effects since Eiji Kawashima repelled Bronn's attempt (50).

The Alsatians, returned to 4-4-2 in diamond shape, were hampered by the 5-3-2 concocted by Frédéric Antonetti but still equalized on a corner from Dimitri Lienard taken over by Simakan at the near post (1 -1, 66th).

The first professional goal of the young international U20.

In the process, Opa N'Guette, often very lonely, dampened the Alsatian momentum by giving the advantage to the Garnets with a nice shot rolled up at the entrance to the penalty area (1-2, 70th).

Strasbourg, far from abdicating, still came back to the score on a nice number from Adrien Thomasson in the area: a double contact and a little sleazy above Alexandre Oukidja, helpless (2-2, 78th).

Habib Diallo, the former Messin, almost played a bad trick on his former partners but the dry strike of the Senegalese came close to the post (87th).

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