On 12 November, one of the matches of the 12th round of the French football championship took place. Clermont (France) and Lorient (France) met.
French Championship, 12th round
Clermont (France) - Lorient (France) - 1:0 (0:0)
Goals: S. Nicholson (69)
Warnings: C. O. Konate (10), M. Saracevic (47), Souleymane Isaac Touré (51), F. Mendy (57).
In a tense match between Clermont Foot and Lorient in Ligue 1 at the Stade Gabriel Montpide, fans saw a thrilling spectacle. A hard fought battle between both teams resulted in no draw at half-time, but Clermont Foot won 1-0 in the second half thanks to a late strike. The match started with a determined effort from both teams but in the 10th minute Clermont Foot's K.O. Konate received a yellow card, signalling the start of a physical battle. The first half passed without any significant chances or goals and the score remained 0-0. At the start of the second half Lorient made the first substitution, releasing J. Mvuku Mugishu instead of B. Ndiaye in the 46th minute. However, the game quickly heated up: in the 47th minute Mohammed Sham of Clermont Foot received yellow cards, and in the 51st - I. Toure of Lorient, indicating the tense nature of the match. As time went on, Lorient's frustration grew and in the 57th minute another yellow card was given to F. Mendy. Looking for a breakthrough, Lorient made a second substitution in the 60th minute, replacing E.J. Crupi with T. Le Bris.
The turning point came in the 69th minute when a penalty was awarded against Clermont Foot. S. Nicholson stepped up to the spot and confidently converted the penalty, giving Clermont Foot an invaluable 1-0 lead. Both teams made further substitutions in the hope of winning the game back or consolidating their advantage. J. Ponceau replaced S. Doucouré for Lorient in the 73rd minute, while Clermont Foot made a double substitution in the 81st minute, bringing on Mohammed Cham in place of B. Boutobba and S. Nicholson in place of G. Kyeger. Nicholson instead of G. Kyei. Lorient tried hard to get back into the game in the final minutes, but were dealt a blow when F. Mendy was replaced by G. Kaloula in the 88th minute. Clermont Foot also made a last substitution, replacing J. Allevina with A. Maurer. The half-time whistle sounded and Clermont Foot celebrated a 1-0 win over Lorient. It was a hard fought game that showcased the passion and skill of both teams. With the win, Clermont Foot moved even higher up the standings in their quest for glory, while Lorient will have to regroup and analyse their performance in the hope of success in future matches.
The following matches await the rivals in the next round: Clermont vs Lance, Lorient vs Metz.
| Clermont | Lorient | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Kicks to the goal | 3 |
| 17 | Kicks | 10 |
| 3 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 9 | Penalty kicks | 3 |
| 8 | Penalty kicks | 7 |
| 14 | Offences | 10 |
| 5 | Corners | 4 |
| 1 | Offsides | 1 |
| 56% | Ball possession | 44% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Keeper saves | 5 |
| 528 | Total assists | 415 |
| 462 | Accurate assists | 355 |
| 88% | Accuracy of passes | 86% |