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Diallo’s late strike saves Strasbourg against Lorient

Juan Pablo Aravena
Habib Diallo celebrates his goal
Habib Diallo celebrates his goalAFP
A late goal from super-sub Habib Diallo allowed Strasbourg to escape with a vital point against Lorient, who had opened the scoring via Terem Moffi early in the first half. The result extended both sides’ current winless run to five games (D3, L2).

Lorient wanted to put an end to their four-game winless streak in league and started the game with a ramping attitude, so it wasn’t a surprise to see them grab the lead in the early going. It was none other than Moffi who broke the deadlock for Les Tangos et Noirs after finishing a play from close range following a corner kick. However, the visitors decided to sit back after breaking the deadlock and allowed Strasbourg to move the ball around and push forward, as Lorient opted to wait for a chance on the counter.

Ultimately, that approach proved to be a wise decision, as the hosts struggled to get things going on the opposing half and only mustered a clear scoring chance in the 31st minute, when Ludovic Ajorque attempted a header that went well wide off the left post. Even though the home side looked far more active in the build-up and led in most stats at the end of half, Lorient still held a rather comfortable 1-0 lead thanks to Moffi’s early strike.

Strasbourg upped the intensity in the opening minutes of the second half and forced Vito Mannone to make a spectacular save following a shot from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde early on. The lack of creativity in the final meters was a huge problem for the hosts and it seemed as if they’d have to settle for another loss, but Diallo had other plans - the substitute took advantage of a perfect pass from Bellegarde and slotted the ball home into the empty goal, sending the home fans into raptures late in the second half as Racing managed to steal a point out of nowhere.

Lorient was just minutes away from entering the 2022 World Cup break on a high note, but the draw means now both teams have gone winless in their last five Ligue 1 matches, though the situation is far more complicated for Strasbourg due to their relegation status.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Habib Diallo (Strasbourg)

See all the match stats