Gap beat Amiens 5:2 on Saturday evening in Ligue Magnus, a result that puts the visitors in a better position than either side expected. The hosts had not won a game all season, and neither had their opponents, so the match carried more weight than the table suggested. By then the visitors had already shown they could score, even if they had not been able to put points on the board.
Amiens had dropped every point available so far, losing four straight matches including a heavy defeat away to Grenoble. They turned to the kids at times, but the experience gap showed. Gap had one win and three losses, with that victory coming against a side Amiens were also struggling with. To be fair, neither team had looked convincing in attack.
The visitors took control early and did not travel to make up the numbers. They scored more than once in each period, which is how you build a cushion when you know the home side will come back. Amiens pulled one back but could not find a second, and the visitors finished strongly. There is no value left at that number when you are chasing a game like this.
We had tipped Amiens with 58 per cent confidence, but the match went the other way. The home side were second to everything in the final third, and that is where games are decided. Gap scored from open play and did not need to rely on set pieces, which told you everything about how comfortable they felt.
The result means Gap now have three points where Amiens have none, and the gap between them is growing. Amiens are still winless after five matches, which is a long time to wait for a breakthrough. The visitors have kept three clean sheets on the spin, and this was another example of how they are building something.
