In a thrilling match, LOSC won against OM and thus managed to qualify for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. The Mastiffs remain undefeated in 20 matches, the longest winning streak in the club's history.
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They are invincible, attractive in the game and exemplary on a collective level. By winning on Tuesday January 14, during the 1/16 final of the Coupe de France, against OM on the Vélodrome pitch, the mastiffs went on to a 20th match without defeat. It is already the longest unbeaten run in the club's history. “The first thing is the satisfaction, the joy of coming to qualify here because it was not easy to achieve. I'm very, very happy.” analyzes Bruno Génésio after the match. On the supporter side, Corentin, president of the group of “Dogs of Old Lille” welcomes: “We’re going out to Marseille, their place, it’s just a joy!”
In a post-match press conference, Bruno Génésio, always very cautious about these statistics, confides all the same: “The group is extraordinary and works every day. Since the start of the season, we have had a lot of headwinds, particularly because of injuries. But we were able to perform and maintain our ambition.”
We have to go back to September 17, four months ago, to remember the last defeat of the Mastiffs. It was at Sporting Portugal, in the Champions League, a 2-0 defeat. Quickly forgotten, because since then LOSC has not lost.
Lille offered a new performance, worthy of the big clubs, by qualifying for the next round of the French Cup. In a crazy match, as only the Vélodrome can be the scene, the chances are more on OM's side. The stands exult when Neal Maupay takes a cross from Mason Greenwood. Everyone then believes in the opening of the score. Only the match referee, Clément Turpin, saw the Marseille striker's hand pushing the ball. The goal is cancelled, logically.
The same scenario occurs on the Lille side, at the very start of the second half. Mitchell Bakker believes he delivers the mastiffs on a pass from Jonathan David. The ball went well into the back of the net on his rebound, but the Icelandic striker had previously controlled it with his hand. Goal disallowed. The two teams neutralize each other in a tense match. “We knew it would be difficult here. OM is a very successful team, with great momentum. The coin could fall on one side or the other” tempers Bruno Génésio.
We had to wait until the 69th minute for the opening score. A pass from Meunier responds to a call from Jonathan David, who alerts Haraldsson at the penalty spot. The Icelandic midfielder deceives the Marseille goalkeeper. 1-0 for LOSC. Simple, effective Football. In the stands, the few dozen Lille supporters who made the trip are starting to seriously believe in qualification.
But the end of the match is on the side of the Phocaeans. And as added time ticks away, a brilliant move from Luis Henrique, a 25-metre strike, saves OM at the last minute. Two teams in great shape who cannot decide between themselves… logical.
The penalty shootout therefore provides the high point of this meeting. The hero at the end of the match, Luis Henrique, came up against Vito Mannone, the Dogues goalkeeper. The Italian goalkeeper flew a second time a few minutes later to deflect Jonathan Rowe's ball from his top corner. A second stop to qualify the Mastiffs. This kind of coup is usually reserved for Lucas Chevalier, the starting goalkeeper of LOSC. But this time, Bruno Génésio showed a mark of confidence in Vito Mannone by aligning him from the start of the match, and the choice paid off. “He's a competitor, we're very happy to see him decisive. It's never easy when you don't play much. His attitude shows that the group is moving forward and that everyone is concerned” congratulates Bruno Génésio.
For Corentin, a fan of LOSC, the coach's choices should be highlighted. “Bruno Génésio makes great choices. For the penalty shootout, he only fields experienced guys with cool heads.” He also congratulates the replacement goalkeeper, hero of the evening: “It shows the strength of the group.”
Bruno Génésio makes great choices. For the penalty shootout, he only lines up experienced guys with cool heads.
Corentin, unconditional LOSC
In this crazy match, LOSC joins the 1/8th final of the Coupe de France by eliminating one of the favorites of the competition. We will have to wait until the evening of Thursday January 16 to find out the Mastiffs' opponent in the next round. Regardless, Lille is already having one of the best seasons of its career, always competing in all competitions.
In the championship, they are positioned 5th in Ligue 1 and continue to compete with the big teams, just two points off the podium. In Champions League, after their exploits against Real Madrid then Atletico Madrid, they are in 8th place among the best European teams in the new format of the tournament. The only downside is that in the 20 matches without defeat, LOSC has only recorded 10 victories against 10 draws. Insufficient for Bruno Génésio: “I'm going to talk about it with some, there are still things where we need to improve, little details that can be costly, like the goal we conceded this evening.”
Other northern teams were also involved in these 16th finals of the Coupe de France. On the pitch at Le Mans, Valenciennes did not have the same luck as Lille and lost on penalties.
Dunkirk was traveling to Alsace but the match had to be postponed due to weather conditions which made the pitch impassable. “We apologize to the supporters who traveled to Haguenau.”announced the northern club in a press release. The match must be played during the week between now and February 4, the date of the round of 16.
