Jean-Louis Gasset: "Nothing to reproach my players for"

Does the derby leave you with regrets?

We’re frustrated to not have taken the lead after the performance we delivered during the first period. We have to make progress in this area even if you have to admit that their goalie made two excellent saves. During the second period, they changed their strategy and put the pressure on us but we grinned and beared it. In the end, we conceded a goal due to a corner kick. It’s frustrating.

This outcome is even more frustrating because Yannis Salibur could have taken advantage of a penalty kick at the end of the match…

Yes, I would really like to rewatch this part of the game because I have the feeling that Tousart touched Yannis Salibur. If he had not been unbalanced, he could have kicked and scored. For their part, Lyon set up their shot and scored. 

What do you think about the beginning of your team’s second half?

We were expecting that they come to us. It would have been better to defend and stand our ground another five or six minutes because I think that we would have had the same ball possession to counter them as we had in the first half. However, in the end, we suffered.

What is your takeaway from this match?

We played against a Champion’s League team and we had openings to score. At the end of the match, we overwhelmed them. Despite the score, there are still reasons to be satisfied. I have nothing to reproach my players for. They played this derby the way they had to. With 60,000 people against us, we had to play with courage. We had the necessary state of mind but in this type of game, you need to score and, this evening, we didn’t manage.