AS Saint-Étienne held by FC Biel-Bienne in a split personality friendly

AS Saint-Étienne finished on a 2-2 draw against FC Biel-Bienne (Swiss third division) on Saturday in Andrézieux-Bouthéon, despite leading 2-0. A contrasting first friendly under Ian Cathro, who made his debut as manager.

Why was the 2-2 draw surprising?

The Green Army dominated the first half, with Joshua Duffus scoring early (8th minute) after a high recovery from Bernauer. Youngster Enzo Mayilla (20) doubled the lead at the 47th minute, sealing a logical advantage.

But after halftime, ASSE lost focus. Dzongalic pulled one back from the penalty spot (56th), before Beltran equalized (72nd) on a swift counterattack. A dramatic turnaround that raises questions about collective consistency.

What was Ian Cathro’s strategy?

For his first match, the new manager started with a familiar lineup: Larsonneur in goal, Pedro, Le Cardinal, Naïr, and Ferreira in defense. Midfield featured Bernauer, Gadegbeku, and Breum, with Cardona linking play, while Duffus and Stassin led the attack.

At halftime, Cathro made wholesale changes to test youngsters: Alexis Colombet, Axel Dodote, Mickael Nadé, Nathan Kasia Nkondo, Ebenezer Annan, Jebryl Sarhaoui, Aïmen Moueffek, Adam Baallal, Igor Miladinovic, Medhy Lutin Zidée, and Enzo Mayilla replaced the starters.

What lessons can be drawn from this performance?

The first half showed an attacking side, but defensive lapses after the break allowed Biel-Bienne to equalize. Mayilla confirmed his potential, while Duffus continued his scoring, but defensive errors proved costly.

Ian Cathro must address consistency, especially before the next challenges: a trip to Geneva for Servette FC (6 PM, Saturday) behind closed doors, followed by a journey to Scotland to face Glasgow Rangers on July 22.

Next up: Servette FC and the Rangers

After this mixed performance, ASSE will face Servette FC (Swiss National League) this Saturday in Geneva. A match to watch closely before the Scotland trip, where the Green Army will take on Scottish champions Glasgow Rangers.

The Greens still have work to do ahead of these fixtures, but this first friendly revealed areas for improvement.