Senegal striker Ousmane Diop on target as Clermont lose to Saint-Étienne

Senegalese striker Ousmane Diop scored his first goal of the season for Clermont Foot, but his side suffered a 3-1 defeat against Saint-Étienne in the second round of Ligue 2.

Clermont travelled to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard looking for their first victory of the campaign after opening the season with a goalless draw against Reims.

However, the visitors struggled to contain Saint-Étienne and found themselves three goals behind after more than an hour of play.

David Guion’s side eventually responded through substitute Diop, who came off the bench and pulled a goal back for Clermont late in the match.

The goal gave the Senegalese forward his first of the campaign and offered Clermont a brief route back into the contest.

It was not enough to change the outcome, however, as Saint-Étienne held on to secure a 3-1 victory on home soil.

For Clermont, the result leaves them without a win after the opening two Ligue 2 fixtures. Their campaign began with a 0-0 draw against Reims before Friday’s defeat in Saint-Étienne.

Diop’s late strike was one of the few positives for Clermont, with the Senegalese forward getting on the scoresheet after being introduced as a substitute.

The striker will now hope the goal can provide a platform for further contributions as Clermont look to improve their results in the coming weeks.

The defeat means Clermont have collected no points from their opening two matches, increasing the importance of their next fixture.

They will face Dijon next weekend, with the visitors currently on one point. The match will give Clermont another opportunity to search for their first victory of the season.

Both sides will enter the meeting looking to secure their first win, making the upcoming fixture an important one early in the Ligue 2 campaign.

For Diop, his first goal of the season provides an individual boost despite Clermont’s disappointing result at Saint-Étienne.

The Senegalese striker will now look to build on his late goal when Clermont return to action against Dijon.