LOSC is preparing to take a leap into the unknown by playing a symbolic meeting against Stade Rennais, that of its 80th anniversary, but also the first of Jorge Sampaoli. Two factors which upset his preparation.
Ready to party? This simple question is where the whole problem lies. On the occasion of the twelfth day of Ligue 1 McDonald's, LOSC will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a match, the reception at Stade Rennais, and numerous festivities. A few months ago, the Lille team had already carried out a similar undertaking, it was during a tribute to Eden Hazard, and the results had been less glorious on the field. This part had indeed not been easy for the Mastiffs, whose minds were elsewhere. They had conceded two goals in the first twenty minutes (Blas 1′ and Kalimuendo 20′), and were then forced to make up for a missed start. Jonathan David had, fortunately, turned things around at the end of the match to snatch a draw (2-2).
“I think it’s an area of progress for the team and the club”
Aware that the environment around the upcoming meeting could be the source of deconcentration, Bruno Genesio shows great distrust as the kick-off approaches:
“I often say that mistakes should help us progress. We must be able to ignore everything surrounding this match and concentrate on our game. […]
We must always be vigilant when there are demonstrations like these around the match. We must not get too caught up in the different activities that there may be. […] I think this is an area of progress for the team and the club. There was this match (LOSC – Stade Rennais), but also others, particularly during the last few days when the team, for other reasons, had difficulty finishing.calmly analyzes the Lille technician.
Despite this increased vigilance, the latter hopes that the party will be beautiful: “It’s also important to celebrate the history of the club, the anniversary and the alumni who made LOSC’s heyday. It's good that there is entertainment around the match for this anniversary. Now we just have to be focused on the 90, 95, 100 minutes we have to play. This is the first match of a final cycle before the winter break. It is, like all matches, an important match, which we must win if we want to continue to advance.”insists Bruno Genesio at a press conference this Friday.
What are the plans?
The anniversary of LOSC is not the only source of uncertainty around this meeting which will pit, it must be repeated, the Dogues against the Bretons of Stade Rennais. The latter, thirteenth in the standings (11 pts), have been in difficulty since the start of the season, but can now rely on Jorge Sampaoli, new to Rennes: “As for Sunday’s match, we did not make a video montage on the opponent for the first time this seasonadmits the Lille coach, not being able to predict his opponent's plans.
For what ? Because we don't know how Rennes will play with the arrival of the new coach (Jorge Sampaoli). As every time this happens, there is certainly an individual and collective questioning that will take place. But we don't worry too much about what's happening with our opponents. We mainly take care of ourselves, what we want to show and what we still need to improve”Bruno Genesio ends up concluding, certain of his strengths. See you this Sunday, November 24 at 3 p.m. for the kickoff of this tricky meeting.
