Montpellier vs Aubagne — Match Details | Betmana

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Aubagne

Montpellier came from 0-2 down at half-time to beat Aubagne 3-2 in their first pre-season friendly of the summer at Stade Marcel Roustan in Salon-de-Provence on 11 July.

Match Analysis

AI Summary

How it unfolded

Aubagne started the brighter of the two sides and took a deserved lead in the 15th minute when Y. Zemoura found the net. The Ligue 3 side doubled their advantage eight minutes later through A. Faiz, who finished from a Rocchia cross to make it 2-0.

Montpellier's best moment of the first half came deep into stoppage time when Nicholas Gioacchini met a Nabil Homssa cross at the back post, only to see his header crash back off the crossbar.

Camara responded by changing his entire outfield at the break — standard pre-season practice — and the impact was immediate.

Vidal-Cartoux pulled one back four minutes into the second half, latching onto a loose ball and firing a left-footed half-volley into the far top corner from close range. The goal gave Montpellier belief and Aubagne began to retreat.

Fayad went close with a 20-yard drive in the 52nd minute, and Enzo Tchato thought he had equalised in the 68th minute when his close-range effort was blocked — with a handball appeal waved away by referee Mr Kerrouzi. A hydration break followed shortly after.

Montpellier's pressure finally told in the 78th minute. Fayad headed the ball across goal for Junior Ndiaye, who finished past substitute goalkeeper Clement Alberganti to make it 2-2.

Just one minute later, Montpellier completed the turnaround. From a goalmouth scramble inside the six-yard box, Fayad forced the ball home to put the Ligue 1 side ahead for the first time in the match.

Aubagne could not find a response, and Montpellier saw out the final 10 minutes to secure a 3-2 win.

The turning point

Camara's decision to swap the entire outfield XI at half-time transformed the contest. The first-half side had offered little beyond Gioacchini's crossbar strike, while the second-half XI — featuring trialists Etoundi and Ayem — pressed higher, moved the ball quicker and pinned Aubagne in their own half for long stretches. Vidal-Cartoux's 49th-minute strike arrived within four minutes of the restart and set the tone for a dominant second period.

Key performers

Khalil Fayad — Involved in all three second-half goals. He headed the ball across for Ndiaye's equaliser before scoring the winner himself from close range. Also tested the goalkeeper from distance in the 52nd minute.

Junior Ndiaye — Scored the crucial second goal in the 81st minute, finishing clinically after Fayad's headed knockdown, and was a constant threat in the Aubagne box.

Noah Vidal-Cartoux — His 49th-minute half-volley changed the momentum of the match, giving Montpellier a foothold they had lacked in the first half.

By the numbers — interpreted

LiveFoot recorded Montpellier with 56% possession and 3 shots on target from 3 total shots, while Aubagne managed 2 shots on target from 2 total shots. Aubagne also picked up three yellow cards to Montpellier's none. The raw numbers reflect a game of two halves: Aubagne were clinical in the first period (2 goals from 2 shots on target), while Montpellier dominated territorially after the break and converted their pressure into three goals in a 33-minute spell.

What it means

This was Montpellier's first pre-season outing of the 2026/27 campaign under Zoumana Camara, who took over as manager during the close season. Aubagne, who will play in the newly-formed Ligue 3 (National 1) this season, will have been encouraged by an efficient first-half display but will need to address their second-half drop-off. Both sides continue their pre-season programmes in the coming weeks ahead of the new season.

Verdict

A tale of two halves in a pre-season friendly that offered Camara plenty to assess. The first XI struggled to create clear chances, while the second XI showed energy, cohesion and a cutting edge. For a first friendly, the comeback is a positive sign — but the split-squad performance underlines how much work remains before the Ligue 1 season begins.