Jean-Louis Gasset: "A team that's allergic to defeat"

How would you describe this tie game?

The point we earned was due to our sacrifice, our courage and our talent because we needed these three things in order to even the score at the end of the match. Even with 10 players and the temperature being 30 degrees, we suffered especially during the second half but we knew that we would have some opportunities for counter-attacks.

What led you to play Makhtar Gueye?

You have to take risks. We were down 1-0, so we went for broke. Makhtar arrived from Sénégal during the break, he’s athletically gifted and, as we’ve said, he’s hungry. During a match, he still lacks flexibility, but on the other hand, he has good skills in front of the net.

What do you think of the expulsion of Neven Subotic?

From the moment when the referee told us that the video indicates that it’s the last defender, there’s no arguing. That removes any possible disagreement. I didn’t review the play but generally, I have confidence in the referees. Right now they have videos and more in order to avoid huge mistakes.

With ten players, you still managed to preserve the balance of your team...

We had to be very well organized in order to not let in any goals. Unfortunately, it happened one hour into the game and from that moment on, things became difficult. Since we just had one more card to play, we had to wait for the right moment in order to make our move. Several players, like Rémy Cabella, were very tired and didn’t give up, but when you have players like Khazri and Cabella, it makes you want to go after things. Even tired, they can shake up a match with a stroke of genius.

Would you say that this tie game feels like a victory?

We went there to win the match. We always play to win, it’s for that reason that I started with four offensive players. The fact that the game wasn’t going our way forced me to play a bit more defensively. I sacrificed Diony but the team was very well organized and Ruffier played a great game. I liked the behaviour and the courage of my team. Earning a point with 10 players when you’ve already made two changes at half time is almost a miracle but we believed it could