FC Sochaux Montbéliard Vs Paris Saint-Germain – French Ligue 1 preview
Stade Auguste Bonal will see FC Sochaux Montbéliard host Paris Saint-Germain in round 16 of the 2011/2012 Ligue 1 Championnat.
A return to the old times for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jeremy-Menez-c18345
The game against Les Lionceaux would be France international Jeremy Menez’s first trip to the Auguste Bonal since leaving the club for Italian Serie A side AS http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Roma-c31603 a few years back.
Despite being born and raised in Ile province, it was Sochaux who gave Menez a chance to become a full professional and the youngster took the chance with both hands and made the best out of it. The Frenchman made his debut for Sochaux at the age of just
17 in August 2004 and in January 2005, Menez scored the quickest hat-trick in the history of Ligue 1.
It tool Menez just seven minutes to score three goals for Les Lionceaux in a 4-0 win over Bordeaux. The feat secured Menez place in the folklore of Sochaux and nearly seven years after that feat, Menez is set to grace the pitch once again.
“For me, it is a real pleasure and honour to return to the Bonal with PSG. It will be strange because I have a lot of memories of my time there. They gave me my chance in the game. I have a lot of admiration for all the people that helped me there,” Menez
said while talking to the media.
Now 24, Menez is a far mature player from the one who scored the hat-trick all those years ago. With Paris Saint-Germain’s recent performances far from satisfactory, Menez knows that his side has to put things right.
Last week’s 3-2 win over http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/AJ-Auxerre-c38247 was PSG’s first in their last four games. Menez scored PSG’s 2000th Ligue 1 goal as PSG shook off their recent losing streak.
Menez believes that accumulation of games resulted in the recent losses and said that the team is once again united to get the season back on track.
Pressure on Kombouare
Antoine Kombouare is certainly the most under-pressure coach in Ligue 1 this time. With his future under intense scrutiny, the Kanak coach knows that his side needs to keep on winning games convincingly in order to save his neck.
Sochaux in trouble
Mecha Bazdarevic’s side have managed just a single win in their last eight games and are just four points away from the dreaded relegation zone. Furthermore, Les Lionceaux have already conceded 30 goals this season. However a goalless draw against Dijon
last Saturday must be comforting for Sochaux who have their own defensive woes to worry about.
Team news
Sochaux
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Damien-Perquis-c9810 is still recovering from a hernia problem and is out until New Year.
Paris Saint-Germain
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Diego-c11058 Lugano is out with a knee injury so France international.
Predicted final score: PSG 1-1 Sochaux
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