Bamba Dieng finds his feet again at Lorient after injury and aborted summer move | OneFootball

Bamba Dieng struck a 73rd minute equaliser to earn Lorient a 1-1 draw with Metz, his first Ligue 1 goal of the season.

He had earlier provided an assist in the 3-3 draw with Brest on 19 October, the second of his five league cameos to date. According to L'Équipe, this resurgence follows limited minutes and a summer move that did not happen.

A thigh problem in late October slowed him, then a hat-trick in the 7-0 Coupe de France win at Le Gosier on 20 December restored confidence. Across six appearances and 145 minutes he has four goals and one assist, a decisive action every 29 minutes.

Against Metz he scored within 15 minutes of coming on, controlling neatly before a left-foot finish, and he almost had a brace, an 80th minute effort ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside. Coach Olivier Pantaloni welcomed his impact.

Pantaloni noted Dieng had been earmarked for sale, then was reintegrated at the start of September when no deal materialised, and says he is not yet at full physical capacity. Signed from OM for €7m in January 2023, he returned from a low-key loan at Angers, three goals in 18 Ligue 1 matches, has not started in the league for over a year and is out of contract in June. He adds that he gets on well with Mohamed Bamba, Sambou Soumano and the other forwards while keeping his future open.

Source: L'Équipe