Girondins de Bordeaux : Un souffle nouveau à l’épreuve de la réalité
Three weeks after hitting rock bottom in Rennes (6-0), Gérard Lopez’s ship sets sail again in Reims, this Sunday, with a breath of fresh air. That of a victory, already, only the fourth of the season, during a match against Strasbourg (4-3) coherent and solid for a half before recalling all the fragility of the building during the second periods. That of the transfer window, therefore, very paradoxical for the moment: while no new player has played a single minute in competition since mid-December, only one or two should start from the kick-off.
Finally a clean sheet?
The identity of the only certain starter is however not anecdotal. Through his experience, his profile and his personality, the former Wolfsburg midfielder crystallizes a lot of expectations. Guilavogui federates, as much as he will have to relieve his defense by his impact and his ability to plug the holes, to bring up the block or to calm the tempo in the weak times. In the hot seat 15 days ago and now condemned to be the number one fuse in the event of failure, coach Vladimir Petkovic confirmed it: the 4-4-2 (4-2-3-1 or even 4-3-3 in the offensive phase), compact and very vertical in recovery used since December 5 against Lyon (2-2), should not move. “The team has always responded rather well to these strategies. The important thing is that we gain in security and that we avoid individual errors which sometimes cost us dearly. »
“The important thing is that we gain in safety and that we avoid individual errors”
This is the goal of recruitment, adding to it the natural aggressiveness of four recruits culminating at more than 1.88m: to defend while advancing to better take advantage of the offensive percussion of the Oudin – Hwang – Elis trio. Provided of course that the Honduran has the legs. After playing three matches in eight days on the American continent, he could be confined to the role of joker and offer Javairô Dilrosun a new chance to add some enthusiasm to the velvet of his left foot.
Saint-Étienne grows
The overthrow of Saint-Etienne against Montpellier (3-1) this Saturday the reminder: the fight for maintenance is far from won and it is indeed a direct competitor who will face the Girondins, 17th with a single unit of advance to the red zone. So far, Yacine Adli and his teammates have done a pretty good job against the rivals, with a draw in Lorient (1-1) and Metz (3-3), successes in Saint-Etienne (1-2), in Troyes (1-2) and against… Reims (3-2) in a turnaround signed Jimmy Briand in stoppage time.
The Rémois, who did not win in 2022 and scored only one but in four games, are treading water. Dependent on the offensive of the success of their center forward Hugo Ekitiké, who resisted the euros offered by the Saudis of Newcastle, the team of Oscar Garcia carries the defects of his youth with the will to play, but also to friability under pressure and in aerial play. That’s good. “The rookies will bring us in the one against one and on the high centers. You have to be pragmatic and afterwards, with the victories, we can go for something more spectacular”, says Vladimir Petkovic who evokes “a six-point match” which will allow the Bordeaux people to remember the Rémois and keep a margin on the Red zone.
Fransergio, he sees further: “It’s not just about taking three points and falling back afterwards. The goal is to be able to repeat game after game. “Before going to Reims and hosting Monaco, it is still better not to drag on the way.