Auxerre vs St Maur Lusitanos — Match Details | Betmana

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St Maur Lusitanos

Auxerre beat St Maur Lusitanos 5-2 in their first pre-season friendly under new manager Will Still, with Theo Bair scoring twice inside three first-half minutes.

Match Videos

AJ Auxerre - US Lusitanos (5-2)

Match Analysis

AI Summary

How it unfolded

Auxerre dominated from the opening whistle. Theo Bair, returning from a season-long loan at Lausanne Sport, opened the scoring in the 21st minute when he converted from close range. Three minutes later, the Canadian striker grabbed his second, poking home after a scramble in the box to make it 2-0 inside 24 minutes.

Still made a full 11-man change at half-time, giving every outfield player minutes. The second group picked up where the first left off. Aristide Zossou made it 3-0 just two minutes after the restart (48th minute), slotting home after a rapid counter-attack.

St Maur Lusitanos pulled one back in the 62nd minute, but the response was swift. Chinese striker Xiangxin Wei, who joined Auxerre days earlier, scored his first goal in France four minutes later (66th), firing low into the corner from inside the area.

Wei turned provider shortly after, setting up 18-year-old Liamfia Dioubaté (72nd), who hammered home from the edge of the box for his first senior goal in Auxerre colours. St Maur added a late consolation in the 90th minute to make the final scoreline 5-2.

The turning point

Bair's quickfire double inside three first-half minutes effectively ended the contest before it had properly begun. St Maur never recovered from falling two goals behind inside the opening quarter-hour, and Auxerre's complete XI change at half-time did not alter the balance of the game. The Canadian striker's sharp finishing — two goals from two chances — will be the most encouraging sign for Still, particularly given Bair spent last season on loan in Switzerland.

Key performers

Theo Bair (Auxerre) — Two goals in three minutes, both poacher's finishes. The 26-year-old Canadian striker made a strong case for a starting role in Ligue 1 after his return from Lausanne Sport.

Xiangxin Wei (Auxerre) — The young Chinese forward scored his first Auxerre goal (66th) and added an assist for Dioubaté's strike (72nd). A highly promising debut contribution from the recent arrival.

Liamfia Dioubaté (Auxerre) — The 18-year-old midfielder scored his first senior goal for the club, capping a composed second-half display in central midfield.

Aristide Zossou (Auxerre) — Scored 48 seconds into the second half to kill any hopes of a St Maur fightback, showing sharp movement to get on the end of a through ball.

Player of the match: Theo Bair.

By the numbers — interpreted

The stats from LiveFoot underline Auxerre's total control: 69% possession, 27 total shots (18 on target) against St Maur's 6 shots (4 on target). The 53-9 advantage in dangerous attacks reflects the gulf in class between a Ligue 1 side and a National outfit. The 18 shots on target — more than three per goal scored — suggest Auxerre could have won by an even wider margin, though pre-season fitness levels and wholesale changes at half-time inevitably affect rhythm.

What it means

This was the first of five scheduled pre-season friendlies for Auxerre as they prepare for the 2026-27 Ligue 1 campaign. Still, appointed after eight months out of management following his departure from Lens, oversaw a professional, if unsurprising, victory against lower-league opposition. The manager used 22 different players across two distinct XIs, handing debuts to new signings Mamadou Diop (Grenoble), Sékou Fofana (Lausanne Sport), Arthur Piedfort (Westerlo) and Xiangxin Wei.

Auxerre's next friendly is against Orléans on 25 July, followed by a pre-season training camp in Vichy. St Maur Lusitanos continue their own preparation for the National season.

Verdict

A routine pre-season workout, executed with the right intensity. Bair's double and Wei's goal-and-assist were the standout individual notes, but the broader takeaway is that Still's Auxerre already look comfortable in possession and clinical in transition — even at this early stage of pre-season. The step up in opposition will tell more in the coming weeks.