(Ligue 1 2022/2023): Highlights Montpellier - Brest

Fellow strugglers Montpellier and Brest were locked together on 20 points ahead of their clash at Stade de la Moisson. Lafayette dismissed manager Romain Pitot after less than four months in charge earlier in the week, with the club having lost six of their seven games in 2023 and left hovering just two points above the relegation zone. Former manager Michel Desacariens brought back with the responsibility of steering Montpellier away from danger. His first task, of course, a visit from his last team, the Armenian having been dismissed by Brest in October, also after less than four months in charge. Desperation may be creeping in a touch for owners with this season's expanded relegation zone looming. Desperation would very quickly creep into the Brest team as they fell behind through a Christoph Arel own goal after just four minutes. Helped back to his feet by Marco Bizotte, a painful one for the centre-back, trying to clear Faito Mouaz's dangerous cross, catching his wrong foot as he slipped. Things would get even worse for Arel as he went on to give away a penalty just a few minutes later. Tangling with Elie Wai and the referee pointing to the spot, the defender's nightmare come to life. But there will be no sympathy provided by Teji Savaniye, the talisman ferociously dispatching the spot kick past Marco Bizotte to make it 2-0. A nightmare for Arel, but a dream start for Desacariens against his former employers. Penalty just inside the post from Savaniye, not long after he'd find the other side of it from much further out. Great effort from range. Visitors did finally conjure up a half-chance of their own, but left-back Lilian Brassier's half-volley drifted well wide. With no side scoring more than the hosts' 11 goals in the opening 20 minutes this season, Les Pirates were at the risk of receiving yet another drubbing following the horrors of the reverse fixture. It was the 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Montpellier in the reverse match that saw Desacarien dismissed from his post at Brest, now getting a strange kind of revenge from the other side of the fence. His side would get their tenth across the two meetings within ten minutes of the restart. Arno Norder holding up the ball on the right wing and delivering in a cross which, one way or another, found its way to Montpellier's young prodigy Way, who slipped the ball under Bizotte for his eighth of the season. His first of 2023, having gone four games without a goal and served a too-much suspension in the new year, are back on target now. Facing the realisation of being pulled back into the relegation battle, the visitors seemed to play on without any tangible optimism in the final third. He's spurned half-chances in the remaining half-hour. First, Ugo Magnetti, firing well over the bar, and then Romain del Castillo, unable to make the most of Jeremie Leduaron's nice flick on. And that would be that. Montpellier win what could well prove to be a relegation six-pointer and move five points away from the drop zone, despite arriving on the back of a five-game unbeaten streak in the league. Brest, once again, will have to be looking over their shoulders.