Montpellier, the Losc led and jostled at the break. Sport

Penalty stopped in Metz, multiple decisive saves… Mike Maignan never ceases to shine in the cage of Losc, to the point of being perhaps the best asset of the Lille leader in the title race before facing Montpellier Friday (9:00 p.m.) in League 1. A shock from the top of the table, perhaps decisive for the title of champion of France, to follow below.

Third goalkeeper of the France team behind the unbeatable Hugo Lloris and the experienced Steve Mandanda, the 25-year-old Guyanese has grown more and more in the locker room of Lille.

Have I taken a step forward this year? Yes, it is very possible, I am maturing and with age we pay attention to details such as match preparations, invisible work, everything that allows us to perform at the weekend, humbly affirmed the doorman last month.

An opinion shared by his trainer Christophe Galtier. The fact that he was in the France group played a role. When you go there, you look, you observe, you listen. All the experience he can store, he puts it at the disposal of the team, estimated the technician Friday before the 33rd day this weekend.

This season, Mike Maignan has progressed because he manages to be decisive even if he is very little used, as at the last minute of the shock in Monaco (0-0) last month when he saved the draw with a superb save against Stevan Jovetic.

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“More demanding”

He is much more demanding of himself and he can therefore also be demanding of his partners. This requirement is very important at the high level, stressed Galtier.

Last Friday in Metz (2-0), the native of Cayenne kept his team in the game while they performed a sluggish performance. He notably rejected a penalty early in the game, before making several decisive saves after returning from the locker room, just before Burak Yilmaz opened the scoring.

Mike is an exceptional man. He often makes good saves. The defense does its utmost so that the opponent does not have chances but when we have a goalkeeper like Mike behind, it gives us confidence, judges full-back Zeki Celik.

The Paris SG-trained goalkeeper, who seems best placed to succeed Lloris when the Blues captain retires, has posted impressive statistics this season. He conceded only 19 goals in 32 L1 matches (best defense in the championship) and managed to keep his clean sheet 18 times, more than one in two matches.

Fortunately we have a goalkeeper to make saves… All the teams that play to qualify for the Champions League have a great goalkeeper, it’s essential. Some say that if we are champion it will be thanks to our goalkeeper, but we cannot summarize our season on the individuality and the performance of the goalkeeper, even if he is very good., said Friday Galtier, a little annoyed by the criticisms addressed to his team, considered too defensive.

Friday against Montpellier, which has been undefeated for 13 matches in all competitions, Losc will try to find a more attractive offensive animation. With the assurance that Mike Maignan will still be present to counter the formidable Hérault attackers.

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