The first day of L2 was marked by the loss of ASSE and the goalless draw of the Girondins. Guingamp, Niort, Metz, Caen and Laval won.
Saint-Etienne, beaten in Dijon (2-1) and Bordeaux hooked by Valenciennes (0-0), missed their debut in their unusual relegated jersey on the first day of the 2022-2023 Ligue 2 season. Conversely, Guingamp, winner of Pau (4-0) and Metz, winner of Amiens (3-0), temporarily took control of the L2, while waiting for Sochaux-Paris FC on Monday.
Already penalized with three penalty points for the incidents at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium at the end of the return barrage against Auxerre at the end of May, Saint-Etienne lost three more on the lawn of Dijon in the afternoon. “I saw things that displeased me“, lamented the new coach of ASSE and former of the house, Laurent Batlles. The former Saint-Etienne midfielder was able to see in particular the fragility of his defense, which was faulted twice in the first period on goals from Mickäel Le Bihan (28th) and Bryan Soumaré (40th). Ayman Aiki gave the Greens a semblance of hope, with a volley (68) on receiving a cross from Denis Bouanga. The latter was excluded in the 90th for a dispute with the referee, symbol of a team always friable in the game and in the heads.
Reintegrated in extremis in L2 on Wednesday after weeks of administrative battles, Bordeaux could not do better than 0-0 against Valenciennes Without its recruits Yoann Barbet and Vital Nsimba, not qualified for this match, without certain players deemed undesirable, with Hwang Ui-jo on the bench, it is a rejuvenated and experimental Bordeaux which presented itself in front of 22,000 supporters at Matmut Atlantique.
David Guion thus established Junior Mwanga (19 years old), Logan Delaurier-Chaubet (20 years old), trained at the club and Jacques Ekomié (18 years old), who usually evolve in National 3 with the reserve. Midfielder Tom Lacoux, 20, inherited the captain’s armband. But Josh Maja, aligned at the top, never found the fault. The Girondins, who still have to pass the National Management Control Department (DNCG) on Tuesday, hope more than ever to be able to strengthen themselves during the transfer window.
Euphoric Metz and Guingamp
The third relegated, Metz, fully succeeded on his debut by beating Saint-Symphorien Amiens 3-0, trained by the former player and technician of the Grenats, Philippe Hinschberger. Accustomed to doing the lift, the Messina team knows that this season the places for the climb will be even more expensive. With four L1 runs to increase the elite from 20 to 18 clubs, only two L2 teams will be promoted (no play-offs).
The fight to avoid one of the four descents in National will also be tough. Promoted to L2, Laval hopes to stay there. The Tangos have already made a success of their entry into the competition by winning in Bastia 2-0 thanks to a double from Zakaria Naidji. Another promoted, Annecy had a less happy baptism by losing at home to Niort (2-1). Author of a very good end to the season, Guingamp left on the same dynamic by outclassing Pau at the Roudourou stadium (4-0), with two goals from Jules Gaudin. Thanks to this river score, the Bretons temporarily take the lead in front of Metz.
In the other matches of this first day, Le Havre, version Luka Elsner (coach) – Mathieu Bodmer (sporting director), could not do better than 0-0 at home against Grenoble. Score zero and blank also between Quevilly-Rouen and Rodez. Also locked for a long time, the match in Nîmes and Caen was won by the wire by the Normans (1-0)