Always good last, the Greens come back to 2 points from Lorient (19th), 4 from Metz (18th and barrage) and 5 from Troyes and Bordeaux, for the moment in the green zone.
After 7 defeats in a row in L1, including 3 since the arrival of Pascal Dupraz in December, the Stéphanois recorded their 3rd victory of the season, against Angevins handicapped like them by the absence of several holders who left for the CAN.
For Angers, who hoped to be revived after their victory on Sunday against Troyes (2-1), it is a new disappointment.
Gérald Baticle's men, so dashing at the start of the season, stagnated in 12th place (29 points) before a perilous trip next week to Marseille.
Chadian striker from Angers, Casimir Ninga, after a missed occsion against Saint-Etienne, during the late match of the 20th day of Ligue 1, January 26, 2022 at the Stade Raymond-Kopa LOIC VENANCE AFP
Dangerous from the first minutes with a good combination on a free kick followed by a header from Ismaël Traoré pushed back on the line, the Angevins then limited themselves to sloppy rapid attacks, without ever really worrying Paul Bernardoni, their goalkeeper on loan to the Greens for the end of the season.
More united, aggressive and applied, the Stéphanois were rewarded at the end of the first period when Yvann Maçon, launched on the left, crossed for Arnaud Nordin: Batista Mendy, the former Nantes midfielder repositioned in central defense in the absence of Romain Thomas, unfortunately pushed the ball into his own goal (0-1, 43rd).
Algerian striker from Angers, Billal Brahimi, in the fight with Saint-Etienne defender Yvann Maçon, during the late match of the 20th day of Ligue 1, January 26, 2022 at the Stade Raymond-Kopa LOIC VENANCE AFP
The Angevins tried to react, but once again, it was the Greens who proved to be the most enterprising, like Denis Bouanga, who had just returned from CAN and entered the game after the injury of the new Stephanoise rookie Bakary Sako at the end of the first period.
© 2022 AFP