Strasbourg secured their place in Ligue 1 next season but were made to hard until the penultimate week of the season, when they defeated Lyon 3-2 at home in thrilling style, fighting back from behind to score twice in stoppage time.
That victory was an unlikely one, as they had been on a winless streak for three months prior to that game, during which time they slipped from 13th to 17th and had appeared in such a state of disarray that their players were even suggesting that the only way they could get over the safety line was due to the atmosphere their fans created at Stade de la Meinau.
Certainly, their home form was the bedrock of what will go down as a successful season. They proved a tough nut to crack in front of their fervent supporters, most notably shown when they scored a 2-1 success over PSG at home in December – the first time that Unai Emery’s side had been beaten in any competition this season.
When their home form started to falter in the last couple of months of the season, though, their slide down the standings began. Indeed, Racing had also started the season slowly, with defeats at Stade de la Meinau by the likes of Amiens and Nantes in the early weeks of the campaign putting them into a difficult spot from the outset.
But they had the resources to pull themselves away from that difficulty, largely thanks to a wide array of attacking talent. Stephane Bahoken top scored with seven goals, but they had several different players contribute modest numbers, which added up to a great contribution.
Kenny Lala in the full-back area was one of their biggest stars and, as Strasbourg struggled at the end of the season, it coincided with his absence. Jean Eudes Aholou, meanwhile, was terrific in the heart of the midfield along with Dimitri Lienard, who was a key player in the 4-1-2-1-2 that Thierry Laurey favoured.
Having achieved safety, their next target must be to consolidate.
