Ligue 2 (J23) – To continue, the DFCO must bring down Toulouse, leader of the championship
Two victories acquired against Rodez and Quevilly. Affordable “on paper” matches looming in February against Pau at home, Bastia and Dunkirk away. And before that, Toulouse, Saturday February 5, 2022, for the 23rd day of Ligue 2. The leader of the championship, in a Stadium which will find its public. While the big favorite for the rise in Ligue 1 stands on the road of the “Reds”, watch out for the iceberg for a Dijon ship still tottering. The bank of the “top 10” reached for the first time … the DFCO intends not to let itself be taken back by the dangerous waves of the bottom of the table.
A more pragmatic DFCO?
How to play the TFC, leading team at the level of the possession in L2 (60%)? Try to deprive them of balloons? Or do the round back and proceed against? The good news is that the DFCO recently seems able to do both. Upon his arrival, Patrice Garande had stated his principles of play and his desire to see an offensive team, always focused on the front. Without denying oneself, the Dijon coach has recently been able to adapt his tactics to the opponent and the situation, to get results. Even if it means being less flamboyant.
Perfect illustration in Rodez (2-0 victory). “We had a slightly different game plan, we had expected them in the middle block, but it was in relation to the opposing system. I am a fairly pragmatic person and I would like my team to be, and above all to be effective”. Will the DFCO change its face for this second part of the season, by putting the results before the “quality” of the game? “The goal is to keep scoring goals, that’s important to me, it’s synonymous with a desire to move forward… but on the other hand, you have to “We are stronger defensively. We have to be able to do both.”
“Efficacy” (in both surfaces) is not the only keyword. There is also “to balance”. “We work above all to try to find a balance, we score a lot of goals but we concede too many. When I analyze the goals we concede, we give them away!”. And “mastery”. “Sometimes, we rush too much. We lose balloons by excessive rushing, and by a lack of information and communication”. The “Reds” know where they need to progress.
Reasons to believe for Dijon
- Toulouse has lowered its foot. Seven victories in the first ten games, before a less good blow. Pau, Rodez and Guingamp added the draw at the Stadium. Caen won there. The TFC, which has not scored for two games, has also just been eliminated in the Coupe de France against the fans of Versailles.
- Important elements are missing on the Toulouse side: Rhys Healey, the co-top scorer in Ligue 2 (13 goals), is suspended. The usual captain, Brecht Dejaegereis injured for several months.
- Patrice Garande, TFC connoisseur. The DFCO coach sat on the Toulouse bench last season, missing out on the rise to Ligue 1 in a play-off against Nantes. “I hope everything I know about them will be an advantage. On the knowledge of some players, I know them by heart. There are new ones who have arrived, is it an advantage or not , I don’t know. These are small elements that I will be able to give”.
The possible composition
The DFCO finds colors for this trip to Toulouse, with the return of several injured: Mickaël Le Bihan, Adama Fofana and Jessy Pi. The three players replayed 45 minutes during the internal opposition last weekend. Sénou Coulibaly has returned from the CAN.
Reynet – Rocchia, Congré, Coulibaly, Traoré – Deaux, Younoussa, Benzia – Dobre, Jacob – Scheidler
- Toulouse – DFCO, to live in full on France Bleu Bourgogne, with our comments live from the Toulouse Stadium. See you at 2:45 p.m. for the pre-match, 3 p.m. for the kick-off of the integral at the radio and on the France Bleu app !