La Meinau roars as Strasbourg rout Mainz to overturn tie, Ben Chilwell hails incredible atmosphere | OneFootball

Strasbourg thumped Mainz 4-0 at a revived La Meinau to overturn their 0-2 first-leg loss in the Europa Conference League. L'Équipe reports that the night marked a break in the recent hush around the ground amid an Ultras strike.

Ben Chilwell felt the turning point came on 25 minutes, when a Moreira volley led to the corner that Sebastian Nanasi converted for the opener. Within 35 minutes the tie was level on aggregate, and belief surged through team and stands.

The tone was set pre-match, from piercing whistles to roars as Gary O’Neil’s players emerged to warm up, and a tribute to former players including Roland Wagner and Albert Gemmrich. Abdoul Ouattara said the crowd felt like a twelfth man from the warm-up.

Talk of the Ultras ending their strike was quashed, and they kept their customary silence for the first 15 minutes, while planning a protest march in London on Saturday alongside Chelsea anti-multi-ownership groups. Captain Emmanuel Emegha urged unity online on his return, his team-mates amplified it and supporters responded.

Around 3,000 Mainz fans added noise and needle by spilling beyond their section, a catalyst for the home end to ignite. Strasbourg’s players repeatedly sought energy from the stands, La Marseillaise rang out after the break, and Mainz coach Urs Fischer later admitted he had been overwhelmed.

Source: L'Équipe