After the madness of the victory in the semi-final of the Coupe de France on Tuesday evening in Bollaert, Pierre Sage decided to spin at the kick-off during the opening match of the 31st day of Ligue 1 in Brest. It was bad for him. RC Lens found themselves trailing 3-0 at the break and were forced to bring in the cavalry at the start of the second half to avoid humiliation.
This shot succeeded. The simultaneous entries of Florian Thauvin, Allan Saint-Maximin, Saul Abdulhamid and Samson Baidoo completely changed the course of the match, and the Lensois were able to snatch a draw in stoppage time thanks to the former Bastia and Newcastle player (3-3).
“Make some people react”
A lesser evil, but which did not make the northern coach lose his temper after the meeting. If he took responsibility for his lineup, and therefore the fact that the result “falls on him”, Sage blames the players he trusted and who did not meet his expectations.
“I admit to you that I had very harsh words at half-time and I felt a little betrayed,” he confided. It’s a very strong word, but I give, I gave playing time, I wanted to bring freshness and I admit that I didn’t get in return what I expected. »
In the ranks of the targeted players, we find Florian Sotoca, Wesley Saïd, Abdallah Sima, Ruben Aguilar and Arthur Masuaku. It was they, in any case, who bore the brunt of their coach’s annoyance.
“I hope that it will make some people and even the whole group react, because the experience we had this evening is quite traumatic despite everything,” continued the technician, aware that the title of champion had certainly escaped the club for good.
PSG can take a six-step lead in the event of a victory in Angers this Saturday. Lensois’ priority remains to ensure second place and therefore their qualification for the Champions League. In the meantime, they hope for the big night against Nice at the Stade de France on May 22. The first Coupe de France in the club’s history is at stake, and no one wants to miss this opportunity.
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