Auxerre unofficially in Ligue 1 thanks to victory over Paris FC

That was all. Full stadium, gala atmosphere and finally, after the victory over Paris FC (2-0), the 20th win of the season. AJ Auxerre, although this is obviously not set in stone yet, will return to Ligue 1, a year after leaving it. With six points ahead and a huge goal difference on Angers (+20), AJA will undoubtedly occupy one of the first two places at the end of the season. On Saturday night, if Saint-Etienne lose at Guingamp, promotion will be official. The goal, before we talk about the future, will be to go for the title. At Amiens next Friday or at home against Concarneau in 15 days. The party just gets more beautiful.

Christophe Pélissier announced that he had prepared for this match like the others and that the important thing was to concentrate on himself. The Auxerre technician and his staff had nevertheless carefully analyzed the game of Paris FC, whose current dynamics were to be feared. The manner, from the kick-off, in which the players defended themselves when they lost the ball, the intensity with which the Burgundian forwards applied their pressing, actually extinguished the Parisian desires completely.

A long and loud clap

Apart from a great opportunity from Vincent Marchetti (20th), Paris FC had great problems in getting forward, in finding intervals and shifts. In this game, we know that we must not leave the slightest opening to AJA. On a harmless ball, Jules Gaudin let Gaëtan Perrin escape, whose centre-back found Lassine Sinayoko who found the opposite net with a shot from the left (1-0, 22.).

We wondered if Auxerres were going to keep up the pace, as they still put a lot of pressure on the opposition’s ball carrier after the break. The atmosphere, still crazy on Saturday at Abbé-Deschamps, may have helped them because nothing has changed. And on a mistake from Moustapha Mbow, Ryan Raveloson gave Ado Onaiwu the half-time goal (2-0, 57.). Sinayoko, after an exchange with Perrin, came very close to worsening the score (69th).

Five minutes from the end the supporters, who were told not to invade the pitch under penalty of closed doors, began a long and noisy clap. The applause, at each substitution at the end of the game, sounded like celebrations. A way to thank the Auxerre players for offering their supporters this return to the elite. “We are in Ligue 1, we are in Ligue 1” sang the stands in added time and long after the final whistle. The climb is also well secured for them.