On paper, Frédéric Antonetti could not have hoped for an easier touchline debut with Strasbourg, and while being huge pre-match favourites against basement dwellers comes with its own type of pressure, his men started strongly after failing to register a shot on target in their recent defeat to Lille. And the home side’s endeavours bore fruit with just 14 minutes played, as Senegalese international Habib Diallo dispatched Eduard Sobol’s pin-point cross into the area, past a bewildered-looking Paul Bernardoni to open the scoring for a second successive home match.
For their part in this relegation six-pointer, Angers struggled to keep up with Strasbourg’s high-octane start, and Morgan Sanson wasted a glorious chance to double his side’s lead, firing a precious one-on-one opportunity straight at Bernardoni. However, with HT fast approaching, the on-loan Aston Villa midfielder’s blushes were spared by the in-form Diallo, when Le Racing’s top scorer bagged his second of the evening with a clinical close-range header.
HT brought no change to the momentum of play, and Strasbourg were inches away from a third goal within the opening 60 seconds of the second half, as Sanson unleashed a ferocious strike fractions over the bar. Now needing a miracle to stand any chance of extending their four-decade unbeaten top-flight record at the Stade de la Meinau, Angers manager Abdel Bouhazama replaced defender Souleyman Doumbia with Amine Salama shortly before the hour-mark.
With Strasbourg on course for a much-needed three points, referee François Letexier handed Angers a lifeline in the 72nd minute by penalising Sobol for a foul on Abdallah Sima in the area. Tasked with the responsibility of setting up an intriguing final quarter-hour at the Stade de la Meinau, Nabil Bentaleb made no mistake with his strike from 12 yards, sending Sels the wrong way in nonchalant fashion.
There were sporadic nervy moments as Angers made an attempt to launch a grandstand finish, but Strasbourg kept their composure to register only a second home league success of the 2022/23 campaign. Meanwhile, Angers remain rooted to the foot of the Ligue 1 standings, and are still staring at an immediate return to the second tier of French football, after failing to register a win across what is now a demoralising 16-match Ligue 1 sequence.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Habib Diallo (RC Strasbourg Alsace)
