Dijon beat Saint-Chamond 82 to 71 in the French Cup on Tuesday evening. The visitors held their nerve after a shaky start, while the hosts had already paid for a sloppy opening. To be fair, the result wasn't entirely unexpected given how both sides have been playing.
Saint-Chamond had looked sharp in their previous outing, winning 84 to 81 against La Rochelle. But then they faced Dijon, who came in with momentum after beating Limoges CSP 108 to 96. The gap between the two sides showed itself quickly.
And here's the thing about these knockout ties — they tend to be decided in three or four moments rather than over ninety minutes of grinding. Dijon took control early and didn't let go. Saint-Chamond's defence, which had been tighter in recent matches, simply couldn't contain the visitors' rhythm.
The visitors have kept three wins on the spin across all competitions. Their last loss before that run came back in May against Le Portel, a 126 to 80 thumping that still stings. Saint-Chamond, meanwhile, have been inconsistent — two losses in their last four matches, including that heavy defeat to Caen.
By then, the tie was already out of reach. Saint-Chamond can only hope this setback serves as a wake-up call before the next round. Dijon now hold the tie in their own hands, with a clean sheet of sorts — not in football terms, but in the sense that they played to their strengths and saw it out.
