Salzburg gives them wings / C1 / Gr. G / Red Bull Salzburg-Lille / SOFOOT.com – SO FOOT

Jocelyn Gourvennec and his men will land in Austria with the firm intention of avoiding the bubble this Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Salzburg with a knife between their teeth. Two weeks after entering the competition against Wolfsburg where they would have deserved better (0-0), it is in the Red Bull Arena that the Mastiffs will want to continue their post-title therapy of French champion. Why not even by winning three precious points on Austrian soil. When we think back to the state of LOSC at the end of August at the time of the draw, there is no doubt that Jocelyn Gourvennec and his guys would then have signed up for such a scenario.

David, the star to watch?

In the city where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born more than 200 years ago, the people of Lille are waiting for confirmation. The one that would validate the last two consecutive successes of LOSC, against Reims (2-1) and Strasbourg (2-1) in Ligue 1, and definitively launch a 2021-2022 season until then in slow motion. At the Meinau last weekend, without a Burak Yılmaz preserved and left on the bench, Lille did not do everything well, but continued their recovery by proving once again to rely on Jonathan David. The Canadian striker, who arrived last year in the North, signed a double and above all scored four pawns on his last four starts in the league.

David is now a safe bet, the one who could also have offered the victory to LOSC against Wolfsburg two weeks ago without a ball out of touch of a hair at the start of the action. It is thanks to this rhythm of goals and this efficiency that Gourvennec was able to rest Yılmaz in Strasbourg, against the will of the Turk: “He’s 36 years old, he plays every three to four days, he had to be cleaned too. He played a lot because he felt good. But he cannot play everything … ” Not everything, of course, but when it comes to big dates, it’s not even worth imagining them without him. Good news, the Kraal should debut alongside David, while in the good news department, Jonathan Bamba’s return to the group is confirmed. To see Renato Sanches tread European lawns, however, it will be necessary to wait for Seville. Too bad, the LOSC is already working properly without it.

Watch out for the coolest Austrian boy band around

In front of them, Benjamin André’s teammates will have a small war machine that continues to feed European leaders. Year after year, Red Bull Salzburg is emptying of its talents (Erling Haaland, Dominik Szoboszlai, Patson Daka, etc.), but is reborn from its ashes like an indestructible phoenix. After nine days in the league, Salzburg has nine wins and four small goals conceded. Enough to make him an ogre, or at least a big chunk to take seriously.

The average age is that of a growing boy band (of the 24 players used this season, only three are over 24), and if the name of Karim Adeyemi means little or nothing to you, the young striker German obtained three penalties in thirty-five minutes for Sevilla (1-1) on the first day. So much for the presentations. The LOSC is therefore warned: to hang its second success of the season off its bases, it will be necessary to be strong. And do not be afraid, either, to drink the pressure like a vulgar can of Red Bull.

By Andrea Chazy