MHSC: Mosson infertile ground

Mousa Tamari et le MHSC en souffrance à domicile… Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

Tenu en échec vendredi par Nantes (1-1), Montpellier n’a gagné que trois fois sur sa pelouse cette saison.

At best, we will know this Sunday at the end of the afternoon if, mathematically, Montpellier will play in Ligue 1 next season. The point from the draw won against Nantes (1-1), Friday evening, brought the Montpellier residents and their coach Michel Der Zakarian closer to their objective of 38 points, synonymous for them with certainty of maintaining. Considering the goal difference of the MHSC, there is no doubt.

Also read: MHSC – Nantes: "We took a point, we advance", Michel Der Zakarian is satisfied with the draw, not with the second half

The Pailladins, on the other hand, know their doubts when they pass through the doors of the La Mosson stadium. Since the start of the season, they have only experienced success three times (Toulouse, Metz, Lorient, the fourth against Clermont was replayed because of the firecracker) for nine draws and four defeats. On the contrary, they won six times outside their bases for two points shares and seven losses. Téji Savanier and his teammates have not had two home victories since March 2023…

A game more about transition than possession

How can we explain such a trend when Montpellier can count on an increase in attendance compared to last year and a great atmosphere when Butte Paillade is there, to encourage its team and set the tone pressure on his opponent ?

🎙 Michel Der Zakarian après MHSC 1-1 FCN

⚡️ #MHSCFCN pic.twitter.com/ImgQxe3m3d

— MHSC (@MontpellierHSC) April 26, 2024

Montpellier's style of play, based more on transition play than on possession, undoubtedly favors this. The profiles of his side players, particularly in attack (Nordin, Tamari, Coulibaly), fast and dribbling, also go in this direction. They express themselves better when they have spaces in front of them, a more frequent configuration outside, where the receiving teams are forced to play the game.

Better results in past seasons

For those who would reduce this to a restrictive game proposed by Michel Der Zakarian, we will recall that during his first visit, his team had the 7th record in 2018-2019 and the 3rd before the championship was stopped by Covid-19 in 2020. After Der Zak's return, in February 2023, his team won four out of eight matches at La Mosson. For comparison, during Olivier Dall’Oglio's full season, the MHSC finished with seven wins, five draws and five defeats.

The Montpellier enclosure would therefore scare opposing teams less than at one time. But perhaps it’s also a question of character and confidence. The offensive problems experienced this season by Montpellier are probably not for nothing, between the long absences due to injury of Nordin (and soon for suspension after his red card against Nantes), the poor form of Mousa Tamari and the clumsiness of & rsquo;Akor Adams.

The Jordanian has been decisive again for two matches and the Nigerian has finally scored after almost six months of drought in Ligue 1. We must hope that this frees them up for the last match of the season against Monaco.

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