For both teams, the Coupe de France offers a breath of fresh air in a somewhat sluggish season. While the sky is already darkened in Forez, a thinning this Thursday against Epinal would be welcome, but they like the Cup, Lille can testify.
Saint-Etienne no longer advances in the league
Sunday's match in Montpellier didn't help. And that's an understatement. In numerical superiority for more than a half, the men of Claude Puel however did not show anything and brought nothing back from the Mosson (1-0). Without ideas, the Greens have chained a third setback (after Metz and Marseille). Barely in the league (15th), and while the coach admitted "looking down" at the end of the home reverse against OM (video), the quarterfinal of the Coupe de France is timely to give himself some air. A National 2 resident too. But caution is advised: "We are not going to take Epinal from high up. They deserve to have arrived where they are. Said William Saliba at a press conference on Wednesday. Claude Puel knows that “Cup matches are very hotly contested matches.” So watch out for the misstep so as not to sink further into a crisis that would turn out to be of a completely different nature if the Greens came to know another disillusionment.
Epinal and "energy-consuming" distraction
Opposite, Epinal is also going through a complicated period, dammed up nevertheless with the draw obtained against the Reims reserve on Saturday (1-1). Seventh in group A of N2 (like Belfort, who fell against Rennes on Tuesday 0-3), the Spinaliens have indeed not won the championship since November 30 and a home success ahead of Drancy (3-0), to put in perspective with the fact that there are significantly fewer matches to play for SAS players. But the observation is there. Xavier Collin admits it in the columns of L'Equipe : "three days later, we welcomed Bobigny and even I, I had trouble remobilizing everyone for this match", referring to the match following the qualification in Lille in the round of 16 (2-1), as well as an “energy-consuming” cup. The Epinal coach knows the adversary in difficulty but is wary: "Even if we feel this team doubt, rather feverish, it is a quality team," he recognized at the microphone of France Bleu Sud Lorraine Tuesday , we will have to make the match that we know how to do. ”That's good, Epinal seems to be well versed in the exercise after eliminating Lille in the previous round, or Lyon in particular in the past (2013).
Krasso and Bouanga at the cup meeting
Be careful though that the context does not take precedence over the issue. While the Spinaliens will evolve at the Marcel-Picot stadium, usually owned by the Nancy club (Ligue 2), in front of at least 15,000 spectators and against a historic elite club. For the occasion, the SAS will count on star scorer, Jean-Philippe Krasso. The 22-year-old Ivorian, born in Stuttgart (Germany) and passed through the centers of Châteauroux and Lorient, scored a double victory against Lille in the previous round (2-1), propelling him into the spotlight. Whoever had already scored a goal in the 32nd final against Sannois St-Gratien likes the Cup and demonstrates it. Conversely, in the league, the striker seems to have a little more trouble with four goals in twelve games. As if the Cup transcended him, transcended them. On the Stéphanois side, this match is also an opportunity for Bouanga to find the way to the nets, as he had also done in Monaco in the previous round (1-0). The Gabonese, author of a thundering start to the season, has not scored since the beginning of December and marks time, like a moribund attack.
EPINAL EQUALIZES IN FRONT OF LILLE (and with the way) #SASLOSC
The direct https://t.co/D8Gm6wCeA8pic.twitter.com/izknDW4ocN
In "a stadium won over to their cause" as Claude Puel reminded us, and faced with a team in great danger, the Spinaliens have everything to extend this enchanted break in the Coupe de France and do even better than the neighboring Belgians.
Read also
- Coupe de France: calendar and results
