Marseille (AFP)

Marseille-Bordeaux has this year a "lusitanico" perfume between coaches André Villas-Boas and Paulo Sousa. Small comparison before this great classic of Ligue 1 between two Portuguese technicians on the podium, Sunday (21:00) for the 17th day.

. Course: The intellectual and the great player

The Marseillais Villas-Boas, son of a noble family, began his coaching career at ... 16 years old. Like his mentor Jose Mourinho, or Leonardo Jardim, his Monaco counterpart, he has never played at a high level.

Conversely, Sousa rubbed the peaks as a player. He is the second in history to have won two consecutive titles in the Champions League with two different clubs (Juventus Turin 1996 and Borussia Dortmund 1997), just after Marcel Desailly (OM 1993 and AC Milan 1994).

But "we are both globe-trotters," notes "AVB". He went through England (Chelsea, Tottenham) and Russia (Zenit St. Petersburg), Sousa even trained in Israel (Maccabi Tel-Aviv) or Hungary (Videoton).

The two have also known China: Shanghai SIPG for the Marseillais, Tianjin Quanjian for the Girondin.

They come together especially on the game. "With André, we find ourselves on the fact that we like to see our teams play," notes Sousa.

. Game system: Chameleon against marble

Yet, the "4-3-3" tactical system of Villas-Boas is more chameleon than the asymmetric "3-4-3" of Sousa engraved in marble. The Marseillais bluffed Angers (2-0) by leaving him the ball, while the SCO prefers to counter.

Four days earlier OM had smothered Brest (2-1) with the reverse tactics, a steamer turning to harassment to annoy a team that likes to play short.

AVB relativizes his tactical moves. He explains having tried a quarter of an hour this system in Angers, then have extended after his team led 1-0.

He did not always succeed either, especially at PSG (4-0). "It was tactically unsuccessful, I still take responsibility," he said of the match.

"André is not a coach who adapts to the opponent", defends Sousa who nuance: "It adapts but with a base and a game model that remain".

He himself uses the same system since its beginnings, in the Gironde. He has never departed from his principles or his system, requiring, now assimilated by his players.

It works against the majority of L1 teams but remains fallible against teams that press high as it has been the case in defeats against Paris (1-0) and Lille (3-0). And Marseille plays like that ...

. Communication: Same affability

The two men, open, are loved by the public and journalists for their relaxed way of talking about football in general, their team in particular.

Sousa is really appreciated by the fans who left him in peace, even in the series of six defeats at the end of last season.

In Marseille, Villas-Boas is already very popular, but he laughs, ensuring that the results are for many.

"When I started in London, I was referred to as a Chelsea coach for 15 years and I stayed for seven months," he smiles, "we are going little by little, let's take advantage of it to gain confidence."

So far their players love them. "The coach pulls us up, he brings that desire, those little details that we missed," says Jordan Amavi, who was rekindled by Villas-Boas.

"All players will tell you that he managed to manage perfectly his team," echoes Laurent Koscielny about Sousa. "He is able to give his players free time, let us enjoy together," said the defender.

The two coaches exchanged some kindness before confronting each other. Besides, they know each other: Sousa had spent a week on an internship in Tottenham when AVB was coaching the Spurs.

Sousa "is very experienced" and "her team, very well organized", ensures Villas-Boas. "André does a remarkable job," says Bordeaux.

Their real disagreement finally remains that AVB is FC Porto and Sousa Benfica, a challenge that continues through OM-Bordeaux ...

© 2019 AFP