Christophe Galtier looked for the right word Friday at a press conference. “I don’t know if we can talk about form. Or dynamic in fact. We will say that we are somewhat in the same state with Lens.“Three successes in nine games, a plummeting ranking and an attack at half mast, Nice and Lensois have been advancing at the same snail’s pace since the end of January.
Find fries in the North!
Still second a month ago after the victory against PSG (1-0), the Gym is now 5th and sees the contenders for the podium accelerating. For its part, Racing was at the gates of the Top 5 after a (happy) victory in Angers at the end of February but after only one success (against Clermont) in four days, here are the men of Franck Haise stuck in 10th position. Not so far from the Aiglons, just 7 points from this Top 5 qualifier for Europe. Yet another crucial match for Le Gym if they want to achieve their league goal at the end of the season. Especially since Stade Rennes’ victory this Saturday 3-2 in Reims pushes the podium back to five points.
Delort the tree that hides the forest in attack
Still deprived of Morgan Schneiderlin and Alexis Claude-Maurice (injured) in the middle, the Gym must above all regain offensive efficiency. With only four goals in eight rounds, the Aiglons often seem powerless to create danger for their opponents. Since the start of 2022, the Gym has only twice exceeded the bar of ten shots in eleven days. Amine Gouiri has been silent in Ligue 1 for eight days. Kasper Dolberg has not scored since mid-January against Nantes (2-1). And Andy Delort is turning into a tree that hides the forest at the moment with his precious goals against Paris and Rennes. The former Montpellier player has just reached the bar of achievements in Rouge et Noir.
Gouiri must join this position on the left as a facilitator not as a winger
To remedy this offensive poverty, Christophe Galtier will therefore still field four attackers at Bollaert. In any case, this is what he hinted after the draw against Rennes and confirmed at a press conference on Friday. “We must find more binder and complicity in front. Amine (Gouiri) must join this position on the left as a facilitator, not as a winger. He does not have the same profile as Kluivert and cannot go five minutes without touching the ball. He needs to be more mobile.”
No Kakuta on the Lensois side
Lens side Florian Sotoca and Kevin Danso return from suspension after the match purged in Strasbourg (0-1) last weekend. While Christopher Wooh and Gaël Kakuta are out of the Gym reception on Sunday at Bollaert. Corentin Jean is about to resume training after a long injury and the striker is still too tight for this match.