The Habibs, Strasbourg's dynamic duo

"It's a relief, a source of satisfaction. We deserved to win. The victory is beyond dispute. The team produced a gutsy performance. When it comes to staying up, we can only rely on ourselves... And we're on the right track." Frédéric Antonetti can thank his players, who went and beat Nantes 2-0 at the Beaujoire. The win is all the more valuable because it came against a direct rival in the battle to avoid relegation.

With four matchdays left, Strasbourg, who were 19th when Frédéric Antonetti arrived last January, have climbed out of the red zone. They are now 14th and three points clear of the Canaris, who are 17th and the first team in the relegation places.

"Habib Diarra has a lot of qualities"

To make this progress, Antonetti is relying on the goals of Senegalese striker Habib Diallo. The two men know each other very well. Not far from Strasbourg, at Metz, they took the Grenats back up to Ligue 2 in the 2018-2019 season, with Habib Diallo finishing as top scorer at the time (26 goals). The Senegalese is on the same kind of run right now, scoring goal after goal.

This afternoon in Nantes, the 2021 African champion opened the scoring - his 18th goal in Ligue 1 - and set up the second for his namesake Habib Diarra. Born in Guédiawaye in 2004 and arriving in France five years later, the young midfielder, used on the flank recently, has become a decisive influence.

Having managed only one assist in his first 20 Ligue 1 matches this season, he has just scored twice and provided two assists in the last 4 outings. That delights his manager. "Habib Diarra has a lot of qualities. This position suits him. He is explosive but needs to show more composure. He's capable of scoring through individual brilliance. For a 2004-born player, he's really very good," says Frédérick Antonetti.