Ganago Saves Nantes’ skin on final french ligue 1 day
Cameroonian international, Ignatius Ganago scored the only goal of the game for Nantes to keep them in the league!
His club and country pal Jean Charles Castelletto played the entire duration of the game and helped his side’s course with a clean sheet at the back.
Nantes saved their skin on the final day of the Ligue 1 season with a 1-0 victory over already relegated Angers, seeing them leapfrog Auxerre into 16th position as Lens defeated the relegated side 3-1 and send them down to Ligue 2.
Nantes narrowly avoided the Ligue 1 drop, claiming three crucial points in their final game of the season against already-relegated Angers.
In doing so, La Maison Jaune ended a dismal run of 14 matches without a victory, leapfrogging Auxerre to condemn them to Ligue 2 football next season.
Heading into the final day of a dismal Ligue 1 campaign two points adrift of safety, the equation was relatively straightforward for Nantes – win, and hope Auxerre could not do so against second-placed Lens.
The alternative was certainly relegation, but the home fans were in full voice, and their side mirrored that defiant attitude with an assertive start, taking the lead in the 16th minute.
Ludovic Blas skillfully shrugged off a couple of Angers challenges, forcing his way into the box before picking out Ignatius Ganago, who adjusted his feet to blast in from close range.
That early goal lifted La Maison Jaune out of the relegation zone, and news of an all-important Lens goal soon filtered through to further strengthen Nantes’ footing. The game’s tempo dropped somewhat after an electric start from the hosts, but Nantes remained firmly on top, albeit without really troubling Yahia Fofana further.
However, Pierre Aristouy was offered a timely reminder of his side’s delicate position on the stroke of half-time, when Nabil Bentaleb’s mesmeric run ended with Abdallah Sima finding the back of the net, only for the offside flag to thwart him.
Unsatisfied with a slender one-goal lead, Nantes flew out of the blocks after the break, and thought they had a chance to double their lead from the spot. Ganago twisted his way into the area before going to ground, but while Blas held the ball in anticipation, Clement Turpin jogged over to the pitchside monitor before retracting the penalty award.
A second goal for Lens against Auxerre was the perfect antidote for Nantes’ disappointment, but with 15 minutes to go, the hosts had done little to extend their lead and Angers had seemingly played their way into the contest.
Auxerre also pulled one back, putting the closing minutes of this Ligue 1 relegation dogfight on a knife edge. Yet Nantes dug their heels in for the remainder of the game, doing just about enough to see out a pivotal win that confirms an 11th consecutive season in France’s top flight.
Defeat for Angers is purely academic with the bottom side’s fate long since decided, though a comparatively strong end to the campaign under manager Alexandre Dujeux gives Le SCO something to build on as they aim for a swift return to Ligue 1.
