Boulogne vs Rouen

A scrappy first half produced few genuine openings. The game was punctuated by frequent fouls, with neither side able to establish sustained rhythm. Rouen grew into the half and created the best chance five minutes before the break — Valentin Fuss met a Noé Sommer delivery but saw his effort saved by the Boulogne goalkeeper (40').

The pattern continued after the interval. Rouen remained the more threatening side. Sommer turned provider again, releasing Ibrahima Samoura into the box, but the Boulogne shot-stopper denied him too (57'). Sory Traoré tested the keeper from range with a drilled effort that was parried away (76').

Boulogne stirred briefly with their first meaningful chance of the match five minutes later (82'), but it proved a false dawn. Within five minutes, Rouen struck the decisive blow. Samoura drove down the right flank and whipped a cross towards the six-yard box. Tchokounté, quicker to react than his marker at the near post, steered the ball into the net from close range (87').

Rouen's mass substitution on 73 minutes — seven changes in one block — injected fresh legs and shifted the tempo decisively. Tchokounté, introduced as part of that triple swap alongside Salim Diaby and Oumar Sarr, needed only 14 minutes to make the difference. The goal came from a move that had been building all half: Rouen's right-side overloads, first with Tramoni then Samoura, finally found the telling final ball.

Ibrahima Samoura — Introduced at half-time for Lisandru Tramoni, the winger was Rouen's most dangerous attacking outlet. He forced a save within 12 minutes of his introduction and provided the assist for the winner with a precise cross from the right.

Malik Tchokounté — The new signing from Stade Lavallois needed only a 17-minute cameo to open his account in a Rouen shirt. His movement at the near post was sharp and decisive — exactly the kind of poacher's finish Brouard will want from his centre-forward this season.

Axel Maraval — Rouen's first-choice goalkeeper was largely untroubled in the first half but commanded his area well. He was replaced by Didier Desprez on 61 minutes as part of the planned rotation.

Boulogne's goalkeeper — The unnamed Boulogne custodian made three notable saves (Fuss 40', Samoura 57', Traoré 76') to keep his side in the game but was left exposed for the winner.

Player of the match: Ibrahima Samoura — his direct running and assist swung the game.

The 0-1 scoreline and late winner reflect a game Rouen controlled without overwhelming. Their first-half chances were modest — the Fuss opportunity (40') was the only clear sight of goal — but they built steadily through the second period. Rouen's 73rd-minute triple substitution is instructive: seven changes in total after the hour mark, compared to Boulogne's more limited rotation, suggests superior squad depth in pre-season conditioning. The fact that Boulogne's only chance arrived at 82' — five minutes before Rouen scored — underlines how little the Ligue 2 side created across 90 minutes.

For Rouen, this is a third pre-season victory from four outings (fourth match overall). Brouard's side are building momentum ahead of the 2026-27 National season, with Tchokounté's arrival adding a proven goal threat at this level. Boulogne face a more concerning picture: a Ligue 2 side held scoreless by a third-tier opponent, though pre-season results carry limited weight. La Voix du Nord reported that Boulogne's weekend was "very mixed, between injuries and defeats," suggesting fitness concerns beyond this single result.

Rouen's next pre-season fixture is unconfirmed at the time of writing. Boulogne continue their preparations for the Ligue 2 campaign, with their next friendly also yet to be announced.

A pre-season friendly decided by a late goal is a familiar story, but the pattern mattered more than the scoreline. Rouen were coherent, patient and physically superior in the closing stages. Boulogne offered little in attack and will need significant sharpening before the Ligue 2 season begins. Tchokounté's instant impact will be the most encouraging takeaway for Régis Brouard.