It was still a Ligue 2 poster for the 2019/2020 season.
Today is an attractive confrontation in Ligue 1. Hard to imagine and yet.
If the two teams do not have the same success in terms of pure results, they share a common desire: that of providing pleasure to the spectator through a game that is attractive, well oiled and focused on the attack.
These two teams contribute to the new attractiveness of Ligue 1. In a league known to be cautious in terms of tactical innovations, Lens and Troyes bring a welcome breeze of freshness and intend to put the image of a Ligue 1 in the closet. spectacular and mostly physics-based to the detriment of the game.
To discover
Ligue 1 fixtures and results
League 1 standings
Read alsoHow Ligue 1 became one of the most attractive leagues in Europe
Two coaches on the same wavelength
Risk taking, technical mastery, three-way defense, there are many similarities between Lensois and Trojan technicians. Franck Haise, the strong man of RC Lens and his Trojan counterpart Laurent Battles share this desire to impose their game on the opponent. If some still doubted the tactical knowledge of Franck Haise, the Lensoise victory on the lawn of the Stade Vélodrome on September 26 (3-2) certainly convinced the skeptics. This RC Lens match was the quintessence of everything Franck Haise has put in place since his arrival in Pas-de-Calais. High and intense pressing to hamper the Marseille raises, clean ball exits and a perfectly stretched block to send the two pistons of the evening, Frankowski and Machado, into orbit. "
We played with a lot of intention and personality.
We stayed true to our game,
”welcomed Franck Haise at the end of the game.
Because that's the DNA of RC Lens: to play whatever happens, without calculation and whatever the opponent.
Principles of play already glimpsed last season when Lens had displayed a more than attractive face for 38 days to finish in an excellent 7th place, a small unit of European places.
This season, the sang-et-ors confirm and occupy 4th place after 12 days.
Read alsoSupporters: sanctions, control ... RC Lens has taken action
In Troyes, Laurent Battles is not to be outdone. The former midfielder passed among others by OM and Saint-Etienne has also adopted the defense to 3 and has succeeded in infusing an offensive and seductive style to a Trojan formation which is returning to Ligue 1 this season. "
In his system, three defenders play very high on the ground almost on the feet of the middle line, it is exceptional
", described Jean-Marc Furlan, the coach of AJ Auxerre in the columns of the
World
. Very high on the meadow, the Trojan defensive line benefits from a midfield that is always on the move and very technical in order to systematically offer a forward solution for the defenders and avoid sterile side passes.
“What I'm asking for is exactly that: to create movement.
We have to get out of the markings and look for free areas
, ”developed the main interested party in our
Figaro
columns
.
To read also Laurent Batlles: "I am passionate about football but I have no mentor"
In the proposed content, the formula is more than paying.
During the first day of Ligue 1 against PSG, the Trojans framed more shots than the Parisians.
They also centered more and obtained 9 corners against 1 only for their opponents of the evening.
On arrival, it is a 2-1 defeat for the Aubois but all the observers of Ligue 1 had been seduced by the Trojans performance that evening.
In the standings, ESTAC occupies a modest 14th place but the workforce available to Laurent Battles is not as qualitative as that of Franck Haise.
And in addition, the Trojans remain on a good dynamic with two victories and a draw over the last three days.
Two projects born in the lower echelons
The attractive playing style of the two teams is the result of a long preparation process in the lower levels of French football. In reality, it all started in Nationale 2 for Franck Haise, then coach of the RC Lens reserve. During a match against Sedan in January 2019, he surprised his world by offering a 3-4-3, a system that is rarely used at this level. Final score, 3-0 for the Lensoise reserve. The coach then decides to draw inspiration from several technicians renowned for their attacking style of play: Gianpiero Gasperini, the coach of Atalanta Bergamo, Roberto De Zerbi, former coach of Sassuolo and of course one of the masters in the field. : Pep Guardiola. Propelled to the head of the first team, at the beginning of 2020,Franck Haise leads and wins two Ligue 2 matches before the championship comes to an abrupt end because of the Covid-19 epidemic. The classification was then confirmed and the RCL, 2nd in Ligue 2, was promoted to Ligue 1 for the first time since the 2014-2015 season. The rest, a season in the elite concluded at the gates of Europe.
Read alsoLigue 1: Seko Fofana (Lens) elected player of the month for September in Ligue 1
For his part, Laurent Battles benefited from two full seasons in Ligue 2 to shape his game plan. 4th when the competition stopped in March 2020, the former coach of the Saint-Etienne reserve won the title with ESTAC. in Ligue 2 last season thus validating his ticket for Ligue 1. During these two exercises in the anteroom of the elite, Laurent Battles groped, tried several systems before finding the right formula. On the other hand, it is out of the question to compromise on the quality of the game and the spectacle. “
We have sometimes tested the three-way defense, already, with Kiki Kouyaté who was a very good defender but who left. Behind, we worked on 4-3-3 to bring something else. In all cases we try to offer play, opportunities, take and give pleasure
», Laurent Battles told
So Foot
.
Read alsoSupported by Abu Dhabi, the Troyes club at the dawn of a new era
