Yet beaten 1-0 in the first leg and still deprived of victory, the Gym approaches this second leg with full confidence. “Yes, I still have the intuition that we are going to pass,” confirms Lucien Favre, after having assured from the end of the first leg “we will do it“. Same positive speech in the mouth of Jean-Clair Todibo. “Yes we are very confident. We were better than them in the first leg, so in front of our home crowd there’s no reason we couldn’t do better.“But don’t tell the defender it looks like the Coué method.”I don’t know what the Coué method means. But I’m just saying that there is no reason for us to play less well than during the first period in Israel.“
An attack at half mast
Except that the Gym must win by two goals if they want to qualify. While he has only scored two goals in four games since the start of the season. “_If the coach asks us to do”full attack“We’ll do that! But the objective is simply to win and avoid extra time,” confirms Jean-Clair Todibo. “I expect a real awareness to do better and to do more together. I’m waiting for a reaction from the team,” warns Lucien Favre anyway.
Tel Aviv knows how to manage a score advantage
Winner 5-0 this weekend in the Israeli league, Maccabi Tel Aviv is in good shape and showed in the previous round that it knew how to manage a score advantage. After beating Aris Salonika 2-0 at home, Maccabi had resisted in Greece (2-1 loss). “They had still tried to play in Greece,” warns the Swiss coach who ensures that he is preparing for all scenarios. “We prepare to defend and attack.“Never mind the way, better to force this barrage towards Europe to fend off the crisis that was seriously smoldering in the event of an elimination.”Everyone at the stadium!“As we can read on the posters pasted by supporters of OGC Nice this week.
Apart from Hicham Boudaoui (back), Kasper Dolberg (shoulder) still injured and Morgan Schneiderlin (missed), the Gym can count on a full group for this match. See you from 7 p.m. on France Bleu Azur for the pre-match until kick-off at 8 p.m.