Nantes-Juve, Kombouarè: “20% chance, but we’re capable of crazy things”

by our correspondent Filippo Cornacchia

February 22nd
– Nantes (Fra)

“We did an exploit in Turin, now we want to try to do another one to pass the round in the Europa League and reach the round of 16. We always have two chances out of ten, but we’ll take them all.” Antoine Kombouaré, the coach of Nantes, launches the challenge against Juventus in view of tomorrow evening’s play-off second leg in France (1-1 in the first leg). The Nantes coach also summons the Beaujoire crowd: “We want a hot climate, but without this penalizing the team and the fans. Juve are favourites, they have a coach like Allegri who is among the strongest in the world and are used to playing these games. We have nothing to lose, while for them to be eliminated would be “ridiculous”, understood as a bad figure. We, on the other hand, have the opportunity to enter the legend of the club. Last season we were capable of crazy things, such as victories against PSG, Monaco and the French Cup triumph, and this time we will try to do another feat knowing that Juventus is a top club and has champions like Di Maria. In the first leg, the Argentine was the best of the 22 on the pitch, let’s hope we find him a little worse…”. In the grandstand there will also be the coach of France, Didier Deschamps, double ex of the challenge. “Let’s hope Deschamps supports Nantes, his successes started here”.

Upload Lafont

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Nantes, in addition to the long-term patient Paul Pogba, will not find Federico Chiesa tomorrow evening (tired and remained in Turin). Good for Alban Lafont, the goalkeeper of the French, who was a partner of the son of art and Dusan Vlahovic at the time of Fiorentina: “Dusan was young, but he worked a lot and I’m not surprised to see him at this level in Juventus. Chiesa was phenomenal, he started and carried the ball forward by himself”. Lafont is Nantes’ manifesto, calm but full of energy in view of the big match: “It’s an important match – continues the Nantes goalkeeper -, it’s not common to play against them. We will not find a Juve in panic. They remain favourites, they have players used to playing this kind of match. It’s true, we won the French Cup last year. But the Europa League is another competition. And Juventus is a different opponent. The fans will give us more motivation, but they don’t score goals.”