• Nantes dominated Toulouse more widely than the score suggests, Thursday night at the Stadium (1-2).

  • The two teams will meet on Sunday at La Beaujoire for the return match of this Ligue 1 - Ligue 2 play-off.

In 2001, Lara Fabian screamed

I still believe in it

. 20 years later, Patrice Garande took over this title on Thursday evening at the Toulouse Stadium, in front of about thirty journalists. The coach of the TFC did not sing, after the poor performance of his players against Nantes (1-2), in the first leg Ligue 1 - Ligue 2. But he assured - the opposite would have bordered on professional misconduct - that he thought them capable of reversing the trend on Sunday at La Beaujoire.

“The team I saw tonight did not play at their level.

If she evolves at her level, there may be hope.

The word "hope" came up several times in the speech of the Toulouse technician, who however did not seek to hide the shortcomings of his training.

Which would have been very difficult, as the difference between an elite team and one below was obvious.

Several gap classes

Loose: "we did not win any duels", "we did not feel great serenity", "we had a lot of trouble getting the ball out from behind";

“We lost a lot in the middle”.

Faced with Kolo Muani, Blas or Simon who go at 10,000 an hour ahead, a Chirivella who behaved as a midfield sheriff and an over-motivated Pallois behind, the contrast was cruel.

Only Amine Adli pretended not to see him after the final whistle, on Canal +.

“We had a great second half, nothing is impossible, said the young striker from Toulouse, on the start and who has undoubtedly said goodbye to the Stadium.

We necessarily believe in it.

All season, we've scored a lot of goals, that's not what scares us.

They weren't really above us.

"

🗨️ "A lot of frustration in view of the second half (...) Everything is played in the return match, we believe it"



Amine Adli's reaction after #TFCFCN 🗣 pic.twitter.com/G51Io4Tep5

- Canal Football Club (@CanalFootClub) May 27, 2021

In these four sentences, we can save the offensive power of TFC (71 achievements in L2 this season + three in play-off against Grenoble + Machado's goal on Thursday night).

But what's the point of planting pawns when you can take them at any time, with such a crumbly defense?

Reasons to believe it?

That said, in the line of a second more sluggish period Thursday evening, Nantes could be less cool on Sunday after a more exhausting end of the season than that of Toulouse (but without the Covid-19).

And the left flank of his defense, where Toulouse's very provisional equalizer came from, may be his Achilles heel again.

From there to consider a turnaround and a rise of the Violets in a Ligue 1 left last year ...

"For me, nothing is finished and the important thing is that for the players either", assured Garande.

You just have to wait until the end of the weekend to see what these words weigh in the face of reality.

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