Strugglers Angers claim first win since September

Bosnian full-back Halid Sabanovic, on as a substitute, scrambled in the only goal of the match with six minutes left at the Stade Raymond Kopa, following in to score after Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier had saved from Adrien Hunou. The result allows Angers to end a run of 21 matches without a win, in which they had picked up just three points.

That means they will not match the French top-flight record for the most games without a win in a single season - that record is held by Arles-Avignon who went 23 matches without a victory in 2010/11. They nevertheless remain seven points adrift at the bottom of the table and 12 away from safety with only eight games to play.

On their third coach of the season, Angers have been in seemingly endless turbulence off the pitch. Angers owner Said Chabane recently quit as club president after being placed under investigation for sexual assault. He also now faces trial in a money laundering affair.

In addition, Angers' Algerian international Ilyes Chetti was this week handed a four-month suspended sentence for sexual assault. It is a desperately disappointing result for Lille, who began the day in fifth place but were denied on several occasions by fine saves from home goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni. Meanwhile Jonathan David, the Canada striker who is Ligue 1's joint top scorer this season on 19 goals alongside Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe, had an off-day in attack.

 

April 8, 2023