The RCSA, incredibly generous and self-sacrificing, was sometimes swept away by an attractive Breton team but ended up cracking under the pressure of the Alsatian players and their fiery supporters.
Habib Diallo had put his team on the road to success (4th), but Martin Terrier equalized (54th), before Ludovic Ajorque offered victory to his team (77th).
Rennes striker Martin Terrier equalizes against Strasbourg, during the 33rd day of Ligue 1, April 20, 2022 at the Stade de La Meinau PATRICK HERTZOG AFP
Thanks to this success, Julien Stéphan's players moved up to fourth place on equal points (56) with Rennes, third, and Monaco, fifth.
The Bretons keep their place on the podium thanks to a better goal difference than Strasbourg and ASM but see Marseille, second, narrowly victorious over Nantes (3-2), escape (62 pts).
Despite heavy pressure from Rennes at the start, it was Strasbourg who quickly opened the scoring on their first opportunity: on a cross from Frédéric Guilbert, Ludovic Ajorque's deflection was blocked, but Jean-Ricner Bellegarde put the ball back in the surface of the head and Diallo followed well to conclude with a half-volley (1-0, 4th).
The Bretons were quick to react by Flavien, who found the top of the crossbar on a volley following a shot from the sombrero (11th), then by a shot from Terrier diverted by the Alsatian goalkeeper Matz Sels (27th) .
But when they returned from the locker room, Rennes logically equalized on their first situation: Traoré found Terrier at the entrance to the area and the former Strasbourg player scored his 20th goal of the season with a clear shot, which he did not did not celebrate out of respect for the Strasbourg supporters (1-1, 54th).
This equalizer woke up the RCSA and Meinau, which flared up a little more to push their proteges.
Ajorque frees the Meinau
Breton goalkeeper Dogan Alemdar was called upon several times, such as on this "Madjer" from Ajorque which he repelled (63rd), or on a shot from Kevin Gameiro which he diverted on his crossbar (71st) .
Unleashed, like its public, Racing ended up being rewarded: after a badly repelled corner, Gameiro delivered a caviar for Ajorque who arose to place a victorious header at close range and set Meinau ablaze (2-1, 77th).
Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque scores the second goal against Rennes, during the 33rd day of Ligue 1, April 20, 2022 at the Stade de La Meinau PATRICK HERTZOG AFP
Above all, the Alsatians did not crack, unlike the last two matches, to achieve a success as deserved as it was capital.
© 2022 AFP