The bet was not a losing one. That of competing for an 8e Coupe de France round, the last on the road to 32es final and the entry of the Ligue 1 teams, outside Matmut Atlantique, that is to say behind closed doors and on a pitch which only took around twenty minutes to become a soft ice rink. But these Girondins Nationale 2 version, who have already seen others in three months, are adaptable. In line with a series of 13 matches without defeat in all competitions, they showed a lot of solidity to eliminate Les Herbiers (2-0) this Sunday, a large part of their championship group which had taken out Ajaccio (L2) in previous round.
Not forgetting to thank the Bordeaux town hall for having finally made the Sainte-Germaine stadium available and having avoided a reversal that the opposing clan was fuming about not having obtained, coach Bruno Irles now hopes “to be able to offer a match to our supporters”, the weekend of December 21. We will know this Monday evening after the draw, but whether it is a big one or a smaller one, it will not be a gift for the opponent.
L’exemple Carroll
“We earn the right to play one more match to prepare for the arrival of Locminé (January 4), continued the technician, always wanting to keep the focus on the championship. The difficulty is to maintain the level of requirements and for the moment, they are there. I can make changes, the ones that fit are in the spirit. »
“The GPS has changed, the jerseys are no longer white. I'm happy »
In the absence of great flights, his training is marked by this mental constancy and effort. Defenders Jean Grillot and Driss Trichard were suspended, but Djibril Diaw, for his first match since May, and troubleshooter Emeric Depussay were able to respond with energy. Andy Carroll was back after three weeks without playing, and he quickly remembered the good memories. It was he who went to scratch a ball that everyone thought was lost to give Merdji the opener (18e), who saved his team from an equalizer on his goal line (29e) before sending his friend towards the 2-0 with a deflection of the head.
“We know what we want”
The people of Bordeaux did not seek complications. Pushing their opponent back with long play, following with high pressing and the felling of Louveau and Trazié in the middle, they were able to quickly put pressure on and break through the co-best defense of their group. They should have scored more, with huge chances poorly concluded by Bahassa, Merdji and Diallo, and they ended up falling back and having a few scares. “I would have liked us to win the second half too,” said Bruno Irles. To win a match, you must not just endure. But the GPS has changed, the jerseys are no longer white. I'm happy. »
In the end, they never really shook, just as they did not fall into euphoria by going to celebrate with the fifty Ultramarines singing in front of the gates. “To say that we feel strong would be an exaggeration,” replied double scorer Yanis Merdji. But we know that we have qualities, a united squad, a good state of mind. We know what we want to achieve and we are using the Cup to continue this dynamic. »
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