Nantes-Rezé – Tours, like the air from the first final

Thunder notice on Saturday evening in the south of Nantes. The screams will not come from the sky, but from Trocardière, the volleyball hall of Nantes-Rezé, which should set a new attendance record, after the 4,562 spectators that gathered on February 17th. Welcome to Jar Saint-Nazaire (3-0).

The opponent this time will come from a little further away, but his situation imposes it: Tours, two hours above the Loire, not only is it the biggest French club in the past two decades, it has also been leading the Ligue 1 since December 3. And Nantes, who are second with two points, have the opportunity to take it directly from them, if they win this Saturday, as part of the 25th and penultimate day of the regular season.

Ultimate taste

At stake, while awaiting the playoffs, is a direct qualification to the Champions League, well known to Tours, unprecedented for Nantes. Which gives the flavor of the final match to this main match of the 25th day (broadcast live League platform, lnv.tv), While that Chaumont cemented its third place beating chasing Turkwing 3-0 on Friday night.

“We gave ourselves the right to play a game to be ahead, but whatever it is, there will always be a last game (at Tourcoing in Nantes and off Nice for Tours, March 25) to conclude the regular season, Nantes coach Hubert Henault, who hosts the club where he finished his career in 2019, and for which he then trained until 2021. But the players are very excited and looking forward to it. And playing in a full room stimulates that, and it shows. »

“It’s a completely definitive atmosphere, Marcelo Fronkowiak, TVB coach confirms. But last year we were obsessed with getting first place to determine the home qualifiers. (The first and last game of the series occur at the highest rank in the regular season), And we lost (In the final against Montpellier). I am convinced we will play a good match in Nantes. The full hall, even if the audience is against us, shivers like during a final. »

Nantes, for its part, is in a dynamic of five championship wins. Unbeaten since February 4 (0-3 against Narbonne), NRMV notably beat Chaumont (3, 3-2) and against Saint-Nazaire (6, 3-0).

physical condition in question

However, the tours will benefit from the experience of the big clubs. Which has already allowed him to achieve a respectable season despite injuries that have followed one another. Attacking forward Joao Rafael Ferreira and midseason Dmytro Teremenko at the start of the season – replaced by medical clowns Nicolas Marichal and Michael Parkinson – Brazilian central Leandro Aracaju on January 14, key passer Zeljko Coric preparing for the eighth goal of the Champions League on February 8, then future striker Ademar two weeks ago …

In Nantes we still have to do without Aracaju and Adhemar. “We had the busiest season of all the French teams, serious injuries to key players, Fronckowiak confirms. We must do. Last week we continued to train a little bit, and it was the first time in a long time that we had a full week. This week we tried to target very specific things to keep ourselves fit and to be able to improve our technical level. But I don’t think the key is the physical aspect, it will be played on the basis of motivation and the attractiveness of the place in the Champions League. »

For Nantes, the physical condition of the group, unprepared for such a heavy season, remains essential. “This week, we’ve taken on a little bit of a load compared to the last two, Hino says. In training, I preferred recovery over quantity. The coach was satisfied, and the players felt more refreshed. They’ll be at their most extreme level right now, knowing we’re working towards the play-offs as well. » If Nantes and Tours keep their current places, they can only meet in the final. the official.