It could have been worse, for morale, for the standings and for the future. But there is still time for the Lensois to recover from the defeat inflicted by LOSC in the Hauts-de-France derby, nine days ago at the Bollaert-Delelis stadium (3-0). Since then, Marseille has lost to Saint-Étienne (0-1), Rennes could have won against Paris-SG but was satisfied with a draw (1-1), and the Sang et Or are still sixth . Since then, above all, the poster for the final of the Coupe de France, PSG-Monaco (Wednesday), has made this sixth place in Europe (Europa League Conference), and Lens will only have to keep it to find Europe. , fourteen years after its last appearance.
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Three left-backs absent
Two matches like two finals, the first in Bordeaux, this Sunday evening, the second against Monaco, next Sunday. “We digested the derby, Franck Haise estimated this week. My team has it under their feet, and I had the opportunity to see it this week in training. We have changed small things because we know it will be complicated, Bordeaux must take points. “
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Bounce back just after a mess at home, the Sang et Or have already done it this season: defeat against Angers (1-3, November 29), victory in Rennes (2-0, December 5); defeat against Montpellier (2-3, December 12), victory in Monaco (3-0, December 16); defeat against Strasbourg (0-1, January 9), draw in Nantes (1-1, January 17); defeat against Nice (0-1, January 23), victory in Montpellier (2-1, January 30).
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Better outdoors
A know-how that owes to two constants: Lens is a better away team (29 points in 18 matches), and its players, armed with high morale, have a formidable ability to move quickly to something else. In Bordeaux, who thought he was probably maintained after his victory against Rennes (1-0, May 2) but is not yet, Lens will be deprived of its three left-backs: Massadio Haïdara is too fair, Issiaga Sylla and Clément Michelin (expelled in the derby) are suspended and Haise will therefore entrust the post to Ismaël Boura, to whom he had to pull his ears. “I told him that I was not happy with his involvement and his performance, he heard the message, and I found the Isma’Boura that I was waiting for”, said his trainer.
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Still deprived of Florian Sotoca, Haise will be able to count on Ignatius Ganago, who had not been rewarded for his good match against Lille and had collected stitches on one foot. Despite this, he had a normal week and should carry the attack, in Bordeaux, against whom Lens had won in the first leg (2-1, September 19), thanks to a goal and an assist from his Cameroonian striker. It is preferable that he is traveling.
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