Water polo: Sète and Montpellier must get back on track

Maurice Dentro et les Sétois vont devoir hausser le ton en attaque, ce samedi chez le deuxième. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

Les joueurs de Montpellier reçoivent Nice (20 h 30) et ceux de Sète se déplacent à Strasbourg (19 h) ce samedi 16 mars.

After the four-month break, the Héraultais have finally restarted their season. When Montpellier suffered the law of Strasbourg on Saturday (18-11), Sète fell this Wednesday at home against Tourcoing (8-12) after winning an important match in Taverny at the beginning of the month (12-19).

This Saturday, the Sétois will have a lot to do in Alsace while the Montpellier residents will be expected to turn the corner against an opponent within their reach.

MWP must win

Currently eighth, four lengths from sixth place occupied by Sète but with a game in hand, Fabien Vasseur's men must absolutely rediscover the taste of victory after four consecutive losses.

They will have every chance of achieving this with the reception of Niçois who precede them in the ranking. « We are approaching this match with a lot of desire », estimates Logan Piot, one of Montpellier's best players during the first part of the season. « It’s a match we’re looking forward to. We know it will be difficult but we absolutely have to take the three points to get back into the swing of things. We are working hard to grab this sixth place. Since January, we have been putting everything in place to achieve this, this is the announced objective. »

Sète wants to believe it

For their part, the Sétois will therefore have to play a second match, 72 hours after this defeat against Tourcoing which undoubtedly left a feeling of frustration. « We only conceded goals from actions that we had seen on video », regrets coach Olivier Chandieu. « When we work to avoid these goals, and we go from 2-1 to 2-5, it breaks morale a little… hellip; And then, in the third period, it's empty in terms of shooting, we lack offensive aggressiveness. It’s a shame because Da Silva played well, he caused exclusions, but it didn’t follow through. When I watch the video of this match again, I see clearly that, as soon as we are placed in defense, we can do good things. But to do this, we must not give the balls back in attack. »

This Saturday, after playing a two-time Olympic champion goalkeeper, the Sétois will face that of the French team. And a Strasbourg team which is in second position in the Elite. « If we are more effective in attack, it’s playable. Even if they are one of the "big”, we are going there to take points, I have prepared everything to win this match. It’s hard because Aix, fifth, is already far away, but we want to keep this 6th place to, perhaps, have a European place. »

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