The declaration: Jardim or Grbic in the goal?
On the evening of the victory in Montpellier where he preferred Léo Jardim to Ivo Grbic to defend the Dogues goal, Jocelyn Gourvennec was very clear about the current situation of his goalkeepers. Establishing the Brazilian did not mean that the hierarchy had changed. But on the eve of the reception of Metz, the Lille coach decided: “Jardim is about to begin. He responded present in a difficult context in Montpellier. The week of our 2 goalkeepers was good. We have found stability in this position. I’m not making any plans for a possible rotation.”
The player to watch: Yilmaz, a dotted future?
The Turkish at the end of the contract next June knows he is in danger. Heroic in the final sprint which offered the title of French champion to LOSC last June, Yilmaz has now lost this cold realism which had made him the darling of Lille supporters. His current statistics (4 goals in 21 L1 games) and the arrival of Hatem Ben Arfa could once again push him to the bench at kick-off.
The stat: Never better than 7th in L1
On the morning of this 25th day, Lille occupies 10th place in L1. A success will allow him to settle temporarily in 5th place. A real event because LOSC spent the whole season in the soft underbelly of the ranking. The best place of the Dogues this season, 7th, was obtained after a success against Lorient (3-1) in a late match of the 20th day on January 19.
The composition “France Bleu Nord”: Renato Sanches back
Jardim – Djalo Fonte Botman Gudmundsson – Weah André Sanches Bamba – Ben Arfa or Yilmaz David