Perfectly set in motion by Morgan Sanson, Les Aiglons secured a victory over Reims on Friday at the Allianz Riviera (1-0). Thanks to this third win on the trot, the Rouge et Noir provisionally move up to 3rd place in the league table.

As the season nears its end, the pressure is mounting. Les Aiglons felt it this Friday evening against a solid Reims side. After a gritty, choppy match played at a sluggish pace for long stretches, Franck Haise’s men finally secured a third straight victory with a narrow but crucial 1-0 win at home. A slim margin, but an immensely valuable one, as the race for European spots intensifies between Le Gym and their closest rivals.

SANSON DOES IT AGAIN

And if the side from the Côte d'Azur could finally breathe a sigh of relief after the eight minutes of stoppage time, they owe it once again in large part to Morgan Sanson. The midfielder, who scored a stunning brace at the Parc des Princes last week (Matchday 31, 1-3), propelled his teammates forward by netting his third goal in two starts this season. Lurking in the box, Le Gym's number 11 calmly slotted the ball into an empty net after Joseph Okumu accidentally headed it his way while being disrupted by his own goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf (1-0, 15).

It was a breath of fresh air for Les Aiglons, who were facing a tightly locked 5-4-1 Reims defence that had only lost once in their previous six Ligue 1 matches. Struggling to penetrate the compact block on the deck, the hosts turned to the air, with two pinpoint crosses into the area from Badredine Bouanani. Twice, Pablo Rosario nearly connected with close-range headers, only to be thwarted by Reims defenders (14th, 45+3).

Ali Abdi, ever energetic on the left flank, also put in a spirited shift to trouble the visitors, though his dangerous cross-shot was well read by Diouf (28'). Despite a high press meant to disrupt Reims' build-up play, the Rouge et Noir couldn't add a second goal despite generally controlling the game.

LE GYM SHOW UNITY TO HOLD ON

Things got trickier after the hour mark. Trapped in the slow tempo imposed by Reims’ defensive stability, Les Aiglons found it increasingly hard to create chances as the minutes ticked by. Samba Diawara's men tried to exploit counter-attacks, but Reims' main offensive threats, Valentin Atangana and Mamadou Diakhon lacked precision in the final third. Atangana’s shot missed the target (67’), while Diakhon was denied by a vigilant Marcin Bulka (74’).

Despite fatigue in stoppage time, Haise's men held firm against the storm, surviving one final scare: a close-range shot by Hafiz Ibrahim that was unintentionally blocked by teammate Oumar Diakité near the penalty spot (90+4').

The Rouge et Noir showed they know how to suffer together to overcome the hurdles of this suspense-filled season finale. Now provisionally up to third in the Ligue 1 table thanks to their win, Les Aiglons have put pressure on their rivals this weekend, before resuming their campaign at Rennes next Saturday 10 May at 9pm.

Hugo Rondet