How to Deal with Julien
This is the defensive challenge facing every coaching staff in Ligue 1 today. But now, the situation is that even without Julien on the field, Bastia's attack is already unstoppable.
"Come on Nice, oh hey! (OH HEY!)
Eagles soar above Riviera!
Riding winds of Maritime Alps!
We raise glory to the heavens!"
Despite being two goals down, OGC Nice fans weren't overly disappointed. Like Bastia fans in the previous two seasons, having seen deeper nights, even a glimmer of light means dawn is coming.
Beep!
The halftime whistle blew.
Both teams returned to their dressing rooms to regroup for the second half.
The Bastia players looked relatively relaxed.
The Nice players appeared more downcast.
Nobody wants to lose at home.
Julien greeted each of his starting teammates in the player tunnel.
When he saw De Bruyne, his smile widened. "You've been exceptional tonight: one goal, one assist."
De Bruyne wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled back. "It's not bad, though if Romelu could finish his chances better, I'd have two more assists."
Both of them laughed at this small joke. Lukaku did indeed have efficiency issues at crucial moments, but against weaker teams, he was practically a goal machine.
Over the past six rounds, Lukaku had scored five goals, only failing to find the net against Paris.
It had to be said that both De Bruyne and Lukaku's statistics had been impressive since arriving in Ligue 1.
However, some media argued this was due to Ligue 1's lack of competitiveness.
Indeed, after last season's poor European performances, Ligue 1's place had been overtaken by the Portuguese league. Many fans claimed Ligue 1 no longer deserved to be considered one of the top five leagues.
Premier League and La Liga fans, in particular, felt superior when facing Ligue 1.
In the eyes of some extreme English and Spanish fans, relegation-battling teams from their leagues could qualify for the Champions League in Ligue 1.
"We've scored two goals, which looks good, but as long as we're on the pitch, we can never relax! We must always play as if we're behind! Always be prepared for the worst when defending!"
In the dressing room, Hadzibegic repeatedly emphasized defense, since the attack didn't worry him much.
"Kante, you're doing well, but when you get the ball, don't always hoof it long. Learn from Rothen and Kevin how to better control the tempo. Of course, that's a requirement for training, on the pitch, play it safe."
Kante nodded. Currently, he was purely a defensive midfielder destroyer.
All the intricate midfield work was handled by Rothen and De Bruyne.
"And Ilan, don't hold onto the ball too long. Play simple and efficient! I'm giving you the last twenty minutes, use all your energy to impact their defense!"
"Yes!"
Ilan answered firmly. But while saying this, he felt somewhat helpless. Julien was so ball-dominant, yet Hadzibegic never criticized him. But when Ilan finally got a chance to play and tried to dribble more, he was accused of being selfish.
Frankly, Hadzibegic didn't expect much from him.
Ilan was a typical old fox player: the type who drifted day by day. Also, a typical Brazilian player. Technically gifted but poor at team play, lacking discipline and resistant to high-intensity training.
Ilan had previously played for Sochaux, Saint-Étienne, and Ajaccio in Ligue 1. He'd also had a stint at West Ham in the Premier League.
He was mediocre in all these teams, to put it mildly.
However, Bastia had spent heavily this summer, and since they only needed a backup for Julien, and Ilan came on a free transfer, Hadzibegic was indifferent.
After briefing the team on second-half tactics, Hadzibegic spoke privately with Julien.
"I'm most comfortable with you on the right wing. You'll come on around the seventieth minute, I'm giving you twenty minutes. Be careful this time. Deschamps has called the club several times hoping we'll ensure your health.
He values you greatly, and so do we."
Julien nodded. "I'll be careful and try to avoid injuries."
Hadzibegic patted Julien's shoulder and said. "You only played half a season last year. Now you're starting your first full season. I think you understand that a long season with so many matches is challenging for everyone. From the moment you chose the professional path, you had to adapt to it."
After a pause, Hadzibegic continued, "Moreover, you're now a star player. Deschamps wants to use you, we want to use you, fans want to watch you. Everyone wishes you could play the full ninety minutes every match. This is the price of ability."
Halftime ended.
Both teams returned to the pitch.
Nice coach Puel had clearly given a morale boost during the break. Julien could clearly see that Nice players' spirit was completely different from the end of the first half.
Beep!
The match resumed.
OGC Nice players showed great energy from the restart, continuously pressuring Bastia.
Both sides exchanged attacks. But the scoreline remained unchanged.
The TF1 commentator noted, "Puel's approach is wise to use fierce attacks to impact Bastia's defense. Currently, Bastia's squad has obvious top-heaviness. Their midfield and attack are very strong, but their defense is relatively weak.
Bastia's strongest defensive area is the partnership of Rothen and Kante, this old and new defensive midfield combination.
Without them neutralizing most attacks, given Bastia's Ligue 2-era defensive line plus goalkeeper Novaes who isn't always reliable, they would concede many more goals.
Currently, Bastia has Ligue 1's strongest attack and one of the top three defensive records for goals conceded."
Clap clap clap!
At the 60-minute mark, in the away section of the Allianz Riviera, Bastia fans applauded wildly.
Julien, wearing a training bib, was warming up on the sideline!
Modoso was extremely excited, turning to shout at everyone behind him, "Julien's coming! Let's roar!"
The five hundred voices suddenly intensified: "JULIEN!!"
This sound startled many Nice fans, who turned toward the away section to see a sea of blue surging.
Julien waved at the away section in acknowledgment.
This triggered even more enthusiastic cheers.
The Ligue 1 broadcast gave Julien and the excited Bastia fans a close-up.
The commentator smiled, "De Rocca is undoubtedly Bastia's biggest star now. Just hearing his name makes Bastia fans automatically recall those brilliant moments and get their blood pumping.
His entry is good news for Bastia, but definitely not for Nice. Nice could handle Ilan's breakthroughs with one-on-one defense, allowing them to commit more players to attack.
With De Rocca coming on, Nice must assign extra personnel to defend him.
So, what about their attack?"
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