Brushed aside during their last games, Stade Rennes will focus on « commitment » to try and undermine the Parisians, second in the league, this Saturday. Will this return to basics go against the ambition to produce fine play?
"A team of wrestlers. » Those words had deeply upset Frédéric Antonetti and his players. They had been uttered after the PSG – Stade Rennes game on September 19th this year (0-0), by RMC journalist Daniel Riolo. He judged Rennes a solid team, strong in the duels but poor in the style.
In two games, a team whose main asset was, according to its players, “defensive solidity”, has conceded nine goals. Against twelve in twenty Ligue 1 games before then. The Ligue 1 fourth seem decided to come back to the basics that made their success. Without Kader Mangane and Stéphane Dalmat, the experienced leaders, Rennes will find the salute, according to Frédéric Antonetti, “through our qualities, we will have to be in the game immediately”.“We won’t be perfect in the technical and tactical areas, but we can compensate with commitment.”
Also missing Tongo Doumbia and Georges Mandjeck, the defensive sector will have to fight a hard battle as they face Erding, Hoarau, Nenê and Giuly. With those men, PSG, second behind Lille, have scored 34 goals in 21 matches. “We know they have a big attacking potential. It’s up to us to disturb them, the Breton manager announces. We are the minnows, they are the big team. And the qualities of a smaller team are goodwill and courage."
So are the “Rouge et Noir” condemned to brace themselves and reply with physical challenge only? Not so sure. Since the beginning of January, Rennes’ attack has reinforced. The will to play was rewarded against Arles-Avignon (4-0), Cannes (7-0) and even against Reims (3-4) as far as the attack is concerned. The men in form are two attacking midfielders, Yacine Brahimi and Alexander Tettey. Saturday, at midfield, Jérôme Leroy, another creator and author of a brace on Tuesday, should start alongside the Norwegian and Yann M’Vila. Jirès Kembo, the fan of wrestling in the squad, is injured, but competition remains. Each of the three positions is still doubled. And Abdoul Camara, often left on the bench by Frédéric Antonetti, has been called in the French U21 team, enough to give him wings before this game.
The statistics are also a cause for optimism. After each defeat, except Sochaux’ last Saturday, the team reacted immediately, notably with two draws against Lyon and Marseille, after losing to Montpellier and Lorient. Furthermore, Stade Rennes always delivered against the big French teams this season (draws against Lille, Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux). “We will assess our real level against a top of the table team. It will be a test”, Yann M’Vila predicts, he who «likes games like this one, there will be big support, big players facing us and the excitation of a big game”.
Despite the many injuries and the elimination against Reims, Stade Rennes can catch up with Paris SG in the league rankings by winning this game. And after all, wrestling is also the high flying art of the Mexican Luchadores.
Nicolas Auffray - Le Mensuel de Rennes
- Photo : www.rennes.lemensuel.com
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