Bastia beat Ajaccio 1-0 in the Ligue 1 Corsican derby likely to be remembered more for the five red cards than top quality football.
Bastia narrowly beat AC Ajaccio in a derby match that contained more than a little of the standard tension associated with local rivalries.
There were five red cards in total, with four coming in a mass brawl in the closing stages as the fiery atmosphere bubbled over.
The game itself was a tight affair, the only goal coming just after half time.
Toifilou Maoulida headed home a cross from Gilles Cloni mere seconds after the break to stun Ajaccio.
Though the away side in this Corsican derby huffed and puffed, they could not find a way through, and their frustration built as the match went on.
The first evidence of that was when right back Mathieu Chalme was sent off for a second yellow card, his poor tackle leaving the referee with little choice but to give him his marching orders.
Ajaccio’s Dennis Oliech was red carded for a bad challenge on Bastia goalkeeper Mickael Landreau, and the delay resulted in breaking point for many tempers.
In stoppage time, Benjamin Andre joined him for a (slightly) early bath, with Florian Thauvin and Jerome Rothen doing the same for Bastia.]
Watch official Ligue 1 video highlights of the angry encounter below:
COMMENTS