Laurent Mortel: ‘They were quality opponents

The Qualification

We will take away the qualification. Trailing a bit against the run of play in the first half, we showed the ability to come back and equalize—a quality we haven’t displayed much this season. I’m not sure if we can call it a winning coaching strategy, but the substitution of players gave us that little extra in just three minutes and triggered the moment that allowed us to score the second goal. I would have liked us to secure the match much earlier; we were trembling in the last ten minutes. Unlike last week, we needed to return with a different attitude, different commitments, and more determination. I think that tonight, over the course of the entire match, our victory is well deserved. Even though we can regret conceding that goal, and I would have liked us to be more clinical.

A Different Face

I don’t think the first half was mediocre. When you compare Wednesday’s performance with today’s, it’s a big difference. Even so, there was much more determination. We lacked fluidity, we didn’t transition quickly enough to attack, and our play was too predictable. We didn’t use enough disruptive moves to combine and find opportunities in depth. That’s what we tried to adjust in the second half. We need to remember where we came from, Wednesday’s match, our shortcomings, and work to correct what needed to be fixed. The players were aware that we fell short and didn’t bring the necessary elements. It’s never easy to bounce back, but we did it against a strong Marseille team. Beyond the qualification, which is essential, we take away a win after being behind.

A Worthy Opponent

Playing against a team like Marseille, which is fighting for promotion to D1, means facing a quality opponent that could very well be part of the league if there were 14 or 16 teams. This means we were up against an adversary close to our level. The advantage of this is that it keeps us in the competitive rhythm of the league, as playing teams from two divisions below doesn’t provide the same intensity. Today, we were focused, alert, and it allows us to immediately shift our focus to the match against Fleury.

The Easther Mayi-Kith Alert

I’ll wait for the medical report, but it seems to be muscular and not serious. I preferred to take her out rather than take risks. There was already a warning on Friday about this issue, so it allowed her to take the precaution of stepping off.