On paper, it is one of the most difficult trips of the season that Rodez Aveyron football faces tonight. Pierre Bardy and partners will indeed face Auxerre, second budget of the championship (21 M € against 7 M € for the Raf), current fifth in the standings and best attack at home (read elsewhere). Even if the Icaunais are going through a somewhat more difficult pass, with only two successes in the last six matches, the forces present have enough to make a candidate for maintenance like Rodez tremble.
However, football is not played on paper but on a field, and the Ruthenians behave well there lately. Carried by a formidable momentum, they have nothing to be afraid of when they go to the lawn of the Abbé Deschamps stadium. “It will be hard for us, but for them too”, slipped Laurent Peyrelade, the coach, yesterday at a press conference. Beaten only by the leader, Troyes, in the last twelve matches of Ligue 2, his men took a little margin on the red zone and recently offered themselves the scalp of two other candidates for the climb, Clermont (2-0) and Toulouse (1-0), a week ago.
A novelty for the Raf, struggling to take points against the big names last season or even during the first leg. His technician sees a contribution “experience” lived in the division, as well as “our mental discipline, which is one of our strengths at the moment”. Can recent performances give any ideas for tonight? “What we have done gives us confidence in the way to play these types of matches, in the quality that we can put into them and in the consistency to have”, assured Laurent Peyrelade.
Two trips in three days
Because it is to be expected, his team will again find themselves in the role of Petit Poucet, whose objective will be to resist in order to hope, against a player opponent, who has the third highest possession rate in the League 2 (54.3%). “They have talent everywhere, very strong playing principles and a talented coach, who will eventually bring this club up this year or another., believes the blood and gold coach. They may lack a bit of consistency, but it’s very technical. They can throw themselves quickly and have great quality on small perimeter attacks. With confidence, they can slap anyone. “
Three days before another trip to Ajaccio, which will put an end to a very dense period of 19 matches (including 2 in the cup) in 3 months, the Aveyron workforce records the return from suspension of its defender Julien Célestine. On the other hand, midfielder Rémy Boissier does not make the trip, for accumulation of yellow cards. He is with Aurélien Tertereau, long injured, the only one missing. It is also a sign that the blood and gold collective is currently in great shape. To the point of signing a new feat for a cador? Answer tonight.
Recent fallers from Clermont and Toulouse, the Ruthenians are going to another candidate for the climb, this evening. With full confidence, despite the quality of the opposition.
Peyrelade: “I prefer 8 pm”
We learned this week: the kickoff of the Ligue 2 multiplexes, on Saturday evening, will now take place at 8 p.m., instead of 7 p.m. This change will take place from the 29th day, on the initiative of BeIn sport, broadcaster since the withdrawal of Mediapro.
“I prefer 20 hours,” said Laurent Peyrelade, Rodez coach. “It doesn’t change anything in the preparation for the match. But for years we’ve been playing at this schedule and that’s fine with us,” he said. “To be followed, on TV or at the stadium, when the spectators can come back, I think that it’s easier.”
The blood and gold technician would however have preferred to play on Friday rather than Saturday, as had been the case last season and during the two years in National. “By playing on Friday, we have very short, dynamic weeks where you concentrate your energy,” he explains. “It also allows you to leave the whole Sunday with the family, which is not the case this season. . “
A sublime strike from the right from outside the penalty area to give the victory to his team. Author of the only goal of the match against Toulouse, last week, Ugo Bonnet has again become decisive for Raf, almost three months after his last goal, against Amiens (1-2, December 5). It remains to be seen whether the striker from Montpellier will be able to continue, he who should again be established this evening.
Just after ending an eleven-game shortage, he certainly wants to remember that he can be the man capable of unlocking situations for his team, like last season, during which he struck 11 times ( in 25 matches). With 5 achievements (for 25 appearances), his current exercise is less successful. Even in the game, Ugo Bonnet had a worse hit, as the fiery striker was rather quiet at the start of winter. Much more in leg during the last two meetings, in Troyes (1-2) and against Toulouse, he is preparing to find an opponent who has been rather successful since the rise of Rodez in Ligue 2. He had indeed opened the scoring after only 52 seconds, last season, on the first day, and also found the net last October, in the first leg (2-2).
After Toulouse, the click for Ugo Bonnet?
Symbol of its offensive strength, Auxerre is the most prolific home team, with 31 goals scored in 13 matches. The teammates of Michaël Le Bihan – 2nd top scorer in the championship (14) – and Hamza Sakhi – best passer (8) – have signed several river victories in their lair, against Ajaccio (5-1), Chambly (4-0 ) or Niort (6-0). The Ruthenians have been warned …
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