Wednesday, 9 January 2019

Coupe de la Ligue, quarter-finals

MATMUT Atlantique, Bordeaux

Girondins de Bordeaux - Havre AC 

The football fates spun an intricate web that caught Bordeaux and Le Havre in something of a loop this week: two identical fixtures in the space of four days, and now a chance for Bordeaux to redeem themselves after falling 1-0 to the Domino's Ligue 2 outfit on Sunday.

Shake it up

"We're struggling to score. We need a bit more spontaneity, we have to make things happen - something we haven't been doing well," lamented coach Eric Bédouet after Le Havre 'keeper Yohann Thuram turned in a superb performance to shut Les Girondins out. "We're a bit predictable, and that's what bothers me."

Unsurprisingly, the Bordeaux boss is tipped to make a number of changes, switching from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 with attackers Yann Karamoh, Samuel Kalu and Andreas Cornelius returning to the starting XI as Jimmy Briand takes the arm-band and returns to playmaking duties after a stint as striker.

Tanchot: 'Even tougher this time'

Meanwhile Le Havre will of course be confident of repeating Sunday's feat - even with Sunday's goalscorer Ebenezer Assifuah set for a place on the bench - but coach Oswald Tanchot remains wary.

"We're not ruling anything out. We know it will be even tougher this time as Bordeaux will be out for revenge," tempered the coach whose side sit mid-table in Domino's Ligue 2. "Sunday's win could give us a psychological advantage, but revenge is also a great motivator. We have to prepare for the Girondins to come out all guns blazing on Wednesday."

Probable teams

Girondins de Bordeaux: Poussin; Y. Sabaly, Jovanovic, Koundé, Palencia; Lerager, Otavio; Karamoh, Briand (c), Kalu; Cornelius

Havre AC: Balijon; Bese, Mayembo, Bain, Y. Coulibaly; Basque, Lekhal; Ferhat, Bonnet (c), Gory; Kadawere