With one point taken in two days, ASSE still totals a negative balance sheet (at -2) and logically occupies the last place in the ranking, potentially eight lengths from the candidates for accession who would come out of the 2nd day of Ligue 2 with two wins.
This situation is the result of the sanctions imposed on ASSE after the very serious incidents that occurred at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium at the end of the return play-off against Auxerre on 29 May.
The club received three penalty points and three others suspended.
Added to this are four firm matches (and two additional suspended ones) to be played behind closed doors, including the one against Nîmes.
The Stéphanois will not find their audience before October, against Grenoble.
In a very hushed atmosphere, and during a lackluster meeting, the Greens were led on a goal by Jens Thomasson who beat goalkeeper Etienne Green with a cross shot (32) before Jean-Philippe Krasso equalizes on a penalty awarded for a hand fault by Benoît Poulain (45).
But the Saint-Etienne team remains under construction.
Zaydou Youssouf and Denis Bouanga, present last weekend in Dijon (2-1 defeat), were transferred this week and other players lined up on Saturday at kick-off, such as Mahdi Camara, Adil Aouchiche or Yvan Neyou, are they too are candidates for departure and perhaps do not have optimal involvement.
Also the Greens, who have not won in the league since April 16 against Brest (2-1), are still recovering.
They delivered a performance without genius against a cautious Gard formation, also beaten in the opening, against Caen (0-1).
And ASSE is even doing well: the Nîmes could have benefited from a penalty at the end of the match for a fault by Mickaël Nadé on Elias Omarsson, forgotten by the referee (83).
© 2022 AFP