Ligue 2 (28th matchday). Guingamp – Reims: 2-0
1 Defensive passivity that hurts
During 90 minutes, the Guingamp defense suffered. Lacking organization and guilty of passivity on numerous occasions, the Costarmoricans defenders gave the Reims players great freedom. In the 9th minute, Japanese forward Nakamura was found alone in the axis, dribbled easily past Ortola but failed to score. But this warning was not taken into account. Five minutes later, Nakamura combined with Daramy near the surface without the defense intervening firmly enough. Daramy opened the scoring (1-0, 14′).
In the second half, the marking of the Red and Black team on Leoni’s free kick left something to be desired. It especially left Reims captain Gbane alone at the far post to push the ball into the net (2-0, 70′). The KO goal for En Avant.
But the scoreline could have been even saltier: Nakamura’s attempts lacked precision (23′ and 59′) and Ortola repelled N’Tamon’s header on the crossbar following a corner (76′).
2 Saved by Jaouen and marred by clumsiness
On the other side of the field, the Guingamp attack failed to make up for the mistakes of their defense. Ewen Jaouen, the Brest goalkeeper trained at Guingamp, thwarted Mafouta and his teammates. First, by stopping the penalty from the number 9 after the break, not without provoking the Red Kop (49′), then miraculously turning Mafouta’s header onto his post a little later (60′).
Following this, Stanislas Kielt, taking advantage of a high recovery by Dylan Louiserre, found himself in a scoring position but missed the target (70′). The end of a strong period where the Guingamp players failed to capitalize, letting the match slip as Reims punished them with a free kick shortly after.
3 Unlucky Roudourou
The day’s defeat leaves Guingamp in 10th place in Ligue 2, 9 points behind the 5th place held by their opponents today, Reims. Above all, En Avant Guingamp is unable to string together results at home, after the narrow victory against Amiens on March 13. Before that, the Red and Blacks drew 0-0 against Rodez and lost to Saint-Étienne.
Technical sheet Arbitrator: Mr. Valnet.
GOALS. Reims: Daramy (13′), Gbane (70′).
Cautions. Guingamp: Nair (38′), Bartouche-Selbonne (43′), Sidibé (63′), Mafouta (66′), Abdallah (75′); Reims: Patrick (35′), Jaouen (68′).
GUINGAMP: Ortola – Koffi, Gomis, Nair, Abdallah – Sagna (Samoura, 58′), Louiserre (c., Ahilé, 71′), Sidibé, Hatchi (Mbemba, 58′) – Kielt, Mafouta. Subs not used: Bartouche-Selbonne (g.), Demouchy, Matumona, Matondo. Coach: S. Ripoll.
REIMS: Jaouen – Busi, Sekine, N’Tamon, Kotto, Akieme – Gbane, Patrick (Fofana, 90’+4), Leoni – Nakamura (Tia, 77′), Daramy (Bojang, 77′). Subs not used: Olliero (g.), Pallois, Diarra, Benhattab. Coach: K. Geraerts.
