OM – MHSC: a defense still to be reviewed

Kiki Kouyaté a confiance en son équipe malgré les absents. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

Privé de Jullien et Omeragic, Montpellier ne dispose plus d’arrière central de métier pour jouer au Vélodrome.

Five was the number of central defenders that made up Montpellier's squad at the start of the season. At that time, MHSC played with four at the back…

The poor results and the porosity of his team forced Michel Der Zakarian to adopt another system with three central defenders. Except that in the meantime, Mamadou Sakho left the club followed some time later by Maxime Estève. The latter was replaced numerically by Modibo Sagnan in the winter transfer window but there are only four players for three positions… Also knowing that Kiki Kouyaté was at the African Cup of Nations.

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First clean sheet in two months

On his return, to add insult to injury for Montpellier, Christopher Jullien and Becir Omeragic were injured, both in the arch of the foot. If the Swiss gritted his teeth against Metz last week for 75 minutes, it was too much. He is out for Marseille. Too bad because Montpellier had not conceded a goal for the first time in two months. “It was good for the group for confidence and for Benjamin (Lecomte)”, stressed Kiki Kouyaté at a press conference on Friday.

Michel Der Zakarian will have to review his plans once again, he who had already had to find solutions on the wings with the absences for the CAN of Falaye Sacko, Enzo Tchato and Issiaga Sylla but also the injury of Théo Sainte-Luce. If Silvan Hefti arrived in January to fill the gaps, these various adventures do not allow the MHSC to find continuity and automatisms between old and new.

Kouyate's confidence

However, it will be necessary when the time comes to travel to the Vélodrome. It is therefore Falaye Sacko who will be aligned in central defense next to Modibo Sagnan and Kiki Kouyaté. Which doesn't worry the Malian defender.

“I like playing there, I've never lost there in the five years I've been in France.” A confidence that he also has in his group. “We are aiming for at least 10 points in the next five or six matches.” He is counting on Issiaga Sylla for this, who has been sparkling since his return from the CAN: “His return has done the team good, he has brought confidence, defensively and offensively. We have to be at his level.”

A good result in Marseille goes through this.
 

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