MHSC: after two consecutive defeats, Montpellier receives Monaco to gauge itself
The MHSC receives Monaco this Sunday, January 23 (5:05 p.m.) at La Mosson on behalf of the 22nd day of Ligue 1.
It’s almost a memory. When Montpellier heads towards the Christmas holidays, with a suitcase against Angers (4-1) and a 5th place under his arm, he dreams of spending his next days in the mountains. In the near horizon, a chain of peaks emerges in shadow. Like a frustration to erase, like one more step to climb.
Montpellier is eager to be up there, eager to see if it is up to Monaco, from Sunday January 23, then Lille, the champion, Rennes, or of course Nice, a quest as intimate as it is ultimate. Until then, in front of the six Europeans (Marseille, Lille, Paris, Monaco, Rennes and Lyon), Olivier Dall’Oglio’s team, perhaps confined to its complexes, made a blank copy. Of a whiteness stained with erasures or regrets.
Dall’Oglio: “We will see if we have disadvantaged”
This Sunday (5:05 p.m.), when his old pet peeve Monaco shows up, with fourteen victories at La Mosson, Montpellier is no longer quite the same. He gave up his troublemaker costume in Strasbourg, after an arbitrary defeat (3-1), before experiencing a black hole three days later in front of Troyes (0-1).
“These are important tests, especially on Sunday against Monaco, contenders for the Top 5. These teams rely on strong individuals who caused us problems during the first leg. We will see if we have revealed against these trainings, projects the Montpellier coach, back on the bench after a covid week.
Montpellier are not starting from nothing, but from a little further (9th place). Instead of measuring himself against others, he wants to find himself.
#Soccer ⚽️ A group from @MontpellierHSC without Savanier or surprise to face @AS_Monaco #MHSCASM #teammhsc https://t.co/VF0zsRMdRk Going through @Midilibre
– Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) January 22, 2022
With a smile, midfielder Jordan Ferri, captain in Savanier’s prolonged absence, sweeps away any ambivalence: “The most important thing is to find our strong points from before the break: solidarity, working together, going through difficult times without conceding goals. We need to find our game and confidence to cut this negative series before it get too big.”
“We have to cushion the shock after two games without a result. We had problems at the start of the season, we have to move forward and find solutions”, completes Olivier Dall’Oglio, anxious not to dwell on this double misstep.
“Do the job” without Téji Savanier
Montpellier advances to the foot of this first summit without its high-flying guide. And thus tackles a hitherto unexplored face. Without Téji Savanier, excluded on Wednesday for a crushed foot on the leg of the Trojan defender El-Hajjam, the Pailladine team faltered at La Mosson in front of Marseille (2-3), at the very start of the season, then in front of Lyon (0-1 ), End of november. And of course in front of Troyes. “The absence of Téji, who can unblock situations at any time, is problematic. And he blames himself. It’s up to us to do the job”, slips Ferri.
Scorer, passer, animator, the magician of the Mosson does a bit of everything. The time of his penance, and his self-criticism, his partners will have to do a little more. And in front of Monaco, in recovery mode (four wins in six games), they will also have to do a little better. Facing them, a little for Teji.