The end of the season is fast approaching for Red Star, leader, and Versailles, in the fight to maintain their position. The two Ile-de-France clubs will both be traveling this Friday for the 29th day of the National.
Beye and Red Star “don’t want to relax”
After the victory (2-1) last Friday against Niort which sealed Red Star’s rise to L2 by 99.9%, the players asked Habib Beye for four days of rest. “Restart on Monday (i.e. 2 days)” replied their coach… “I won’t let them relax”, he warned.
With ten points ahead of Martigues and Niort and the advantage of goal average as a bonus (Editor’s note: 11 points ahead virtually), the Audonian club could validate its rise in two or three days “As long as it is not not done mathematically, we cannot be jubilant and consider that we are there, continues Beye. The sooner we validate this climb, the better it will be for the work and the approach to next season. The club needs to anticipate. Afterwards, we also have plenty of things to achieve, breaking point records, being the best attack (Editor’s note: Red Star scored 47 goals like Niort). We want to try to make the history of this championship. »
Hooked a fortnight ago with the red lantern Cholet (1-1), the leader expects the same type of match at Marignane, currently first non-relegation. “We saw in Cholet that it was not easy for us against teams who are playing for their survival,” continues the Red Star coach. If we don’t manage to settle the match quickly, these teams impose on us a style of match that we don’t really like… We are expected everywhere. Marignane is one of the best teams in the championship at home. We will have to show the same investment and the same desire as against Niort, because this match will perhaps be more difficult. » Starting against Niort, Italian central defender Paolo Gozzi, injured, leaves the group like Jovany Ikanga (choice) who is replaced by Alioune Fall.
Vasseur and Versailles ready for “a bitter and difficult duel”
Having left the red zone thanks to its success against Dijon (2-0), Versailles will travel to two relegated teams, Nîmes (14th) then Épinal (17th). Two matches which risk setting the tone for the end of the season. “We won a final against Dijon, we have six left,” declared Jean-Luc Vasseur last Friday. In free fall with only one victory in the last seven matches, Nîmes changed coach on Monday. Former Moroccan international Adil Hermarch (ex-Lens, Toulouse), who led the reserve, replaced Frédéric Bompard.
“For us, it doesn’t change anything,” emphasizes Jean-Luc Vasseur. We had already experienced this situation when we went to Cholet. We are already focused on ourselves and focused on the mission assigned to us: maintenance. I hope that we will have learned the lesson of Marignane, where we relaunched a direct opponent, even if before this defeat (Editor’s note: the only one since six matches and the appointment of Vasseur), we were traveling rather well. Nîmes needs points, like us, so it will be a tough and difficult duel. But the idea is to keep them at bay, so as not to lose.
Jordan Mendes is suspended while Thibault Jaques, who lost his captain’s armband, returns to the group. Back last week after six weeks of absence, Versailles top scorer Mehdi Baaloudj should start again on the bench, the staff not wishing to take any risks with him.
