To get back to the top flight, the Estac could have been satisfied with a draw against Dunkerque, a team struggling to stay in Ligue 2, or could have counted on counter-performances from Clermont, at home against Sochaux, or Toulouse, who hosted Caen. The Trojans did not need to follow the other matches of the evening. They have, as often this season, mastered their subject and obtained a new success (the 23rd of the 2020-2021 season) which propels them into L1 at the same time as it offers them the title of Ligue 2 champion.
But on Saturday 8 May, the fans in the Aube were a little worried. It was the first time that a team like Clermont (3-1 win over Sochaux) and Toulouse (3-0 win over Caen) had done the job. The Estac dominated the first half-hour before Dunkerque got bolder. The Nordic side could have taken the lead twice, but Gallon pulled off another fine save after Kebbal had missed the ball and sent it into the stands.
Shortly before the break, Kouamé forced Kouagba into a foul in the box. Tardieu, master of penalties, fell on Maraval (44th).
After the break, Estac took the game into their own hands. And, almost logically, they found the breakthrough. Two newcomers made the difference. Gory, launched by Dingomé, opened his foot at the same time as the score (59th). Ten minutes later, Bozok, also a substitute, isolated Saint-Louis for the knockout goal. (2-0). Without the fervour of the crowd, Laurent Batlles’ team controlled the end of the match and were able to savour a peaceful end to the game. In the autumn, Estac will be back in the big time.
The season of the Trojans in brief…
This year, Laurent Batlles’ men have performed beyond expectations. For the first season of the City football group, the Estac was not necessarily one of the big favourites of the championship, with an almost neutral mercato and the 9th budget of L2.
But the Trojans, who had finished strongly last season (stopped because of Covid, when Troyes was 4th), quickly started again on the same basis. After four roller-coaster days (home wins against Le Havre and Pau, away defeats to Auxerre and Sochaux), the team had a first breakthrough by beating Clermont (1-0) on the fifth day. A goal from their strong man of the first part of the season, Kouamé, launched the dynamic. That evening, the Trojan club began a series of twelve matches without defeat (eight wins, four draws) that would take them to the top of Ligue 2 come winter.
The transfer of power took place on 5 December when Paris FC were beaten 2-1 and left the Stade de l’Aube stripped of their leadership position. The Estac, who had just beaten Amiens and Guingamp, recorded a third victory. But to get there, the new leader has experimented with a new 3-4-3 tactical scheme, which Laurent Batlles will rely on to win the title and the league.
In the eighth matchday against Valenciennes, Salmier was sent off in the third minute. The team held the Nordic side at bay (1-1) by staying with three defenders. The revolution is underway. Carried by this audacious and risky scheme, Estac maintained a high cruising speed, despite a dry spell in March. Without any consequences.
