Football: Nîmes Olympique, removing the threat

Ali Abdallah and Nîmes, here facing Quevilly at the Antonins, are still looking for efficiency. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

For the 14th day of National, this Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Antonins, Nîmes, which has never been so poorly ranked, must beat Le Mans to distance itself from the red zone.

November hurt. At the end of October, the Crocos, on an unbeaten run of two wins and three draws in the championship, were 8th, 5 points behind second place, synonymous with promotion. At the beginning of December, they were no longer looking up but down, and the secret dream of promotion from the summer gave way to the reality of staying up. Two pitiful defeats (2-1 in Bourg-en-Bresse and 2-0 against Quevilly at the Antonins) and a Friday without playing (17 teams, NO exempt from the 13th day) have passed by there.

“The last two matches still stick in my craw”

And here are the Gardois, penultimate, 15th. They have never been ranked so badly this season. “There is a lot of frustration, admits the coach, Adil Hermach.The last two games are still sticking in my craw. The more days go by, the more points are missing. It's up to us, my players, my staff and I, to find the levers to change and finally have some success.”

The one that flees the attackers (apart from Abdeldjelil, 5 goals) and the Gard midfielders in front of the cage. An example among others: the handsome and good player Mexico, who also trained at Le Mans, has 0 goals and 0 assists in 11 appearances!

NO, the worst attack

Nîmes now has the worst attack in the National, with 9 goals scored in 12 games. And only four different goal scorers: Abdeldjelil (56% of the total), Camara (two penalties), Picouleau (one goal) and Ali Abdallah, one goal as well while the Strasbourg loanee should have five…

The stats say it: NO is in the leading group of teams with the highest number of expected goals(expected goals), and who touch the most balls in the opponent's area.

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The Le Mans coach Patrick Videira, a Crocodile year as a player in 2005-2006, is not the first nor the last to declare it: “Compared to what it offers, Nîmes is not in its place”. To find one more in line with the quality of its squad, its performances and its ambitions; and to keep the threat of the red zone away, there is no choice: we must take 4 or 6 points during the last two meetings before Christmas, this Friday at the Antonins against Le Mans and the following one in Paris against Atlético 13.

Adil Hermach: “I am not playing for the last places”

The Crocodiles have been thinking about this evening and preparing for it for a month, after four weeks of forced truce without an official match. “We will have to make the most of it. It has to be a new start, Hermach expects. I can tell you: I am not playing for the last places, and we will not play for them. I continue to have confidence in my team, and I hope that they also continue to have confidence in themselves.”

Le Mans is the team that wins the most away

If nothing is lost – after all, NO, 15th with 13 points, is closer to 9th place, Rouen (15 pts), than to 16th and first relegation place, Villefranche (10 pts) – nothing will be easy. Starting with the reception of the Sarthe team, which is the one that wins the most away in National. Already four victories, like Orléans and Nancy.

“Since they are good away and we are not too bad at home, summarizes the technician, it should be a good football match.” That we will have to win. So that December will do some good.

The probable team lineups: Nîmes without Labonne

NÎMES Simon – Sbaï, Diouf, Mendy (cap), Beneddine – Mexique, Akkal, Picouleau, Bouaoune – Marcel, Abdeldjelil.

Replacements: Iafrate, Laurens, Doukansy, Camara, Abdallah. Labonne is suspended, Cozzella, Dias (goalkeepers), Paviot and Amara are suspended.

LE MANS Kocik – Ribelin, Eyoum, Yohou, Matumona – Lauray, Ouchen, Rossignol – Bernardeau, Gueye, Rabillard.

Replacements: Hatfout (l.), Burlet, Lamgahez, Voyer, Amir, Vula.

Referee Edgar Barenton

Kick-off à 7:30 p.m. at Antonins.

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