Hoever and Traore shine. Auxerre players' ratings for the match against Strasbourg
Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
Last year, Auxerre was playing in Ligue 2. Now, they are storming Ligue 1, sitting in 8th place after 16 rounds. Along the way, Auxerre has managed draws against PSG and Lyon, and victories over Nice and Marseille — a commendable performance.
However, the newly promoted side could not overcome Strasbourg today. Unfortunately, there isn’t much positive to say — this was an outright poor game for Auxerre. Today, the team's greatest weakness was glaring: duels.
Top players of the match:
Ki-Jana Hoever
Hoever provided the assist for Traore's goal, though it won’t show up officially due to a slight deflection. The pass itself was magnificent: perfectly placed and on target for Traore. Beyond his offensive contribution, Hoever excelled defensively, recording 8 defensive actions, 4 clearances, and 4 successful tackles. Among Auxerre’s defenders, Hoever stood out as the most reliable.
Hamed Traore and Gaetan Perrin
Traore scored his goal with precision, controlling a tricky ball (deflected by an opponent) and striking it well. In addition to his goal, Traore attempted two more shots and delivered two key passes. Perrin matched him with two shots and two key passes of his own and added 4 quality crosses. The duo’s contributions were the highest for both teams in terms of offensive output.
Assane Diousse
Auxerre struggled significantly in duels today. Strasbourg dominated this aspect of the game, giving the visitors no room to compete. This is a critical area that Auxerre must address to ensure survival in Ligue 1. Diousse was the lone bright spot, winning 8 duels (the most in the match) while losing 5. Auxerre urgently needs more players with Diousse’s resilience.
Noteworthy mentions:
Manager Christophe Pelissier's strategy is clear: build play through the flanks, relying on wingbacks in all phases—defense, attack, and transitions. This partly explains why Hoever was among the best today. However, Gideon Mensah fell short. While his performance wasn’t poor, his struggles in duels were significant—he won only 4 out of 15. If Mensah can improve in this area, he could become a vital asset for the team.
Lassine Sinayoko had one decent opportunity today but failed to capitalize. The most disappointing aspect was that he managed just a single shot all game. Sinayoko is capable of much more, but today wasn’t his day — nor Auxerre’s.
Player ratings:
- Akla K. - 6
- Beir T. - 6
- De Persin T. - 6
- Djomande S. - 6
- Diousse A. - 7
- Joly P. - 6
- Jubal - 5
- Zossu A. - 5
- Mensah G. - 6
- Perrin G. - 7
- Owusu E. - 5
- Onaiwu A. - 6
- Sinayoko L. - 5
- Sisse Y. - (insufficient time)
- Traore H. - 7
- Hoever K.-J. - 7
