Toulouse, first! After three French Ligue 2 champion titles, including one last season to climb into the elite, the “Téfécé” won a second major trophy with the Coupe de France, after that of 1957. Philippe’s players Montanier disposed of Nantes on Saturday, in the final, at the Stade de France. 5-1 win with braces from Logan Costa and Thijs Dallinga in the first half. There was no miracle after the break, despite this penalty from Ludovic Blas… Zakaria Aboukhlal was responsible for further increasing the score. Four times winners of this trophy and defending champions, the Canaries lost in the final for the sixth time in their history.
Current 12th in the Ligue 1 standings, the Toulousains will celebrate this Coupe de France with their supporters, at the Stadium, on May 2 against RC Lens, during the 33rd day. 16th, the Canaries have six matches to save their place in the league.
In a boiling Stade de France, the two teams did not even engage in an observation round. And it was Toulouse who dictated the tempo of the match. On the first corner of the game, van den Boomen – the Toulouse metronome – delivered a delicious pass to Logan Costa in the box. The Toulouse defender got the better of Girotto and scored the first goal of the match (4th). But the residents of the Rose City continued to press where it hurt. Well helped by the multiple faults of Nantes (three in nine minutes), the Toulousains, by Logan Costa, doubled the bet on a new head (10th). On a free kick from van den Boomen, again him, Spierings put the ball back in front of the goal for the Toulouse defender. Alban Lafont, the Nantes goalkeeper, could not do anything, and conceded the second goal of the meeting, already.
Nantes, KO standing, still reacted. First by keeping the ball well. Then Antoine Kombouaré’s men almost scored a goal on a recovery from Mohamed, pushed back on his line by Suazo (12th). But as the saying goes: never two without three. Almost in his half of the field, the Chilean, savior on the Nantes action, distributed a caviar in the back of Castelletto intended for Dallinga, who stung his ball to deceive the Nantes goalkeeper (23rd). Unfortunately, the saying stops at three and not at four… Because yes, Philippe Montanier’s men even added a fourth goal thanks to Dallinga. After a strike from Chaïbi repelled by Lafont, the Toulouse striker trailed there and pushed the leather into the back of the net (31st). A demonstration.
Distraught, Antoine Kombouaré had no choice but to bring in three players as soon as they returned from the locker room, namely Delort, Moutoussamy and Ganago. But nothing has changed. Like the timid whistles at the 49th minute and 3 seconds in reference to the article promulgated by the government, the rhythm was not the same from the start. The Toulousains, all in control, ensured the blow while the Canaries seemed without solution. Delort on a header (52nd), Sissoko on a recovery (57th) and Ganago on a blocked shot (65th) tried to wake up Nantes, in vain. But for the honor, the teammates of Ludovic Blas reacted. The latter converted a penalty (75th) after a foul by Nicolaisen on Centonze. However, the hope did not last long since on a free kick at the entrance to the surface, Aboukhlal drove the point home a little more thanks to a recovery under the bar (79th).
Faced with this sad spectacle, some Nantes supporters left the stadium 10 minutes from the end of regulation time. At 6 p.m. at the Capitole this Sunday, we will not celebrate the failed accession to the Champions Cup final of the neighbors of rugby but this well-deserved title and gleaned this Saturday evening in the Coupe de France.
