With their heads down, the Canaries returned to the Europa-Park Stadion locker room after another defeat, the second consecutive in the Europa League, this Thursday evening in Friborg (0-2). First solid defensively and reassuring after conceding four goals, four days earlier, FC Nantes folded again, the fault of a bad start to halftime. A dirty habit, this season but which does not mortgage its chances of qualification, in particular thanks to Olympiakos which has still not won a single match in the European Cup this season.
Insurance behind, reluctance in front
In a stadium with an incredible atmosphere where some 33,000 spectators gathered, including 2,000 supporters of the Yellows who never stopped giving voice, the players showed that they did not let go of their coach. Once again solid in the defensive phase and compact, the eight-time French champion initially perfectly controlled the German offensives. “Defensively we were very strong“, is satisfied Pedro Chirivella. “We started the match being disciplined“, adds Jean-Charles Castelletto.
On the contrary, it was another story. In cruel lack of confidence, like Ludovic Blas in difficulty, the Nantes attackers have almost never shown themselves to be dangerous. The passes were timid, often ill-fitting, and the calls lacked edge. “We struggled to create chancesregrets for his part Dennis Appiah. We took few risks, except for a situation at the end of the first period. At least we showed another face than in Monaco.“Except that, as on the Rock, it was again at the start of half-time that the Yellows tipped the match on the wrong side.
“For every little mistake this year, there is a goal”
Antoine Kombouaré had warned his men of the effectiveness of Friborg at the start of the period, the most effective German club in this register. But obviously, they did not learn the lesson. Barely two minutes after returning to the field, the Black Forest club made the difference with a mistake in defense. “After that, I slip and every time there is a small mistake this year, there is a goallaments Pedro Chirivella, faulty on the opener. We want to do better things and besides, until the first goal we are good but after that it gets complicated.“
“There’s really nothing smiling at us right now“, Plague Dennis Appiah. Stunned by this goal, Nantes will fall back into their failings. It is moreover still on a touch – as against Monaco and Marseille – that Friborg doubles the bet. And despite a desire to return to the match at the end of the game where they created two big chances through Guessand and Moutoussamy, the Yellows headed for a fifth game in a row without success.Last season we hit once we scored two goals“, confides Jean-Charles Castelletto. At the moment nothing is succeeding for them and the Breton derby, against Rennes, this Sunday, will be of capital importance for the rest of the season in Nantes, more than ever under pressure.
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