SM Caen. In Dijon, a return to evacuate the outward journey
By Nicholas Claich
Published on
September 21, 2021 is a pivotal date in the 2021/22 season of the Malherbe Caen Stadium (Calvados). The defeat (0-1) suffered that day against Dijon by Patrice Garande is still not digested on the weed side. “I hope that the players will have a feeling of revenge, even if the Dijonnais have nothing to do with it”, advances Stéphane Moulin.
A crazy scenario
If he assures that he is not concerned with the arbitration designations, sure that the Caennais coach was relieved to note that Gaël Angoula would not have the whistle this Saturday March 5, 2022, for the return match with the Burgundians. The decisions of the former professional player at the end of the match had indeed raised the mustard in the nose of the staff, the players and the weed leaders, in the first leg.
Reminder of the facts: led 0-1 since the 29thand minute of play, the partners of Alexandre Mendy obtain the forcing to, at least, equalize. At the 75and, Steve Shamal finally manages to deceive the Dijon goalkeeper. But the referee cancels the goal, on the grounds of a prior simulation of Ali Abdi in the penalty area. Along the way, he draws a yellow card against the Tunisian defender, his second of the match, synonymous with expulsion.
Reduced to ten, the Caennais persist despite everything to push and think to hold the result of their efforts in the 88and, when Mehdi Chahiri took over a long cross from Yoël Armougom at the far post. The whole stadium saw the ball cross the goal line… except for the referee, who was deceived by the reflex stoppage of Baptiste Reynet.
This match hurt us more than a simple defeat. It hit us hard on the head when it could have created the opposite phenomenon. We still miss the three points lost that night.
After a burst in Toulouse, the following weekend (3-2), the Caennais lived a calamitous autumn, only resuming success in mid-December, against Guingamp (2-0)!
Holder against Dijon, Franklin Wadja also has this match “across the throat”.
I had never felt such a sense of injustice. Such a scenario, when we had returned to the score, in numerical inferiority, it did not pass!
A new turn?
At the time of the talk on Saturday, Stéphane Moulin will certainly activate this lever to motivate his group. But he will mainly rely on the latest performances of his team.
Whatever the players lined up, we found a way to do it, a common thread. Dijon is a team that is out of place, with players who have all experienced Ligue 1. A bit like us, they train their start to the season like a ball and chain. They often lacked success…except in the first leg!
Faced with “one of the teams to beat” in the championship, the Caen coach hopes that this match will come back to draw a new turning point in the season for his team. Positive this time.
Ligue 2, 27th day. Dijon FCO – SM Caen, Saturday March 5, 2022, 7 p.m.
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