It’s going to be hot at the Francis Le Basser stadium this afternoon at 2 p.m. (Saturday). Stade Lavallois receives its neighbor from Le Mans for the 8th round of the Coupe de France. The two National clubs face each other for the second time this season and we remind you: in the event of a tie there is no extra time but directly a penalty shootout. What to spice up this cleaver match.
Do not rehash
At Stade Lavallois, the week got off to a bad start, with a loss against Concarneau at home (0-1). The Tangos clearly missed out on the game and want to erase this sad performance. “My wife didn’t necessarily have a good evening on Monday because I had a sleepless night and I was not well. I didn’t like what happened on Monday night. It is true that it hurts. But with hindsight, with the work we did with the coach and the players, the discussions we also had between us, the players are lucid. I did not feel any players missing the point when I said “we were good“. I really found concerned and lucid players“explains Yasser Baldé.
The Maine derby is therefore a great opportunity to bounce back for coach Olivier Frapolli. “I hope this filigree Le Mans match of the week has not played too much in the minds and in the preparation of the Concarneau match, even unconsciously. We finally talked a lot about the derby, and maybe less about Monday’s matchup“says the coach.
Against Le Mans FC, spectators will not see the same match as against Concarneau, promises striker Yohann Brun. “It’s the kind of game where there will certainly be commitment, contacts. The public will push us a lot as certainly because it is a knockout match.“continues Yohan Brun. If Laval owes revenge to its supporters, Le Mans will also be revenge, after its defeat in National at Le Basser, already in September, during the 7th day of National (1-2).
A typical team or not a typical team?
If at the pre-match press conference Olivier Frapolli indicated that he was “in reflection with the staff“, Stade Lavallois should field a team close to the one beaten against Concarneau Monday. The importance of the derby in the eyes of the supporters, and the possibility of a qualification in the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France (with the arrival of certain Ligue 1 clubs), will leave little chance for a rotation as wide as the previous French Cup matches (US Chantrigné in the 5th round, Vertou in the 6th round, Luçon in the 7th round).
Striker Yohan Brun, lacking playing time in the National, hopes to hold the Coupe de France for the fourth time in a row. “Obviously my sporting situation is complicated at the moment. So if I’m lucky to have some playing time against Le Mans, that will be good. It will also change from the other cup confrontations in which I have participated. I expect playing time on a National type meeting. This is the perfect match. After _I’ve been here for two years so the coach and the public know what I’m capable of_. They know my qualities. Afterwards, the coach makes his choices. At the moment, I have less playing time, it is like that and it is sure that it is a golden opportunity for me“says the former Grenoble striker.
Laval – Le Mans is to be experienced in full on France Bleu Mayenne, from 1:45 p.m., with Franck Gauteur, Martin Cotta and our consultant Ulrich Le Pen.