Lorient vs Bastia preview - Abdullah targets crunch period

Posted Friday, February 27, 2015 by PA

Lorient midfielder Rafidine Abdullah feels the club are entering the most important couple of weeks of their season.

Sylvain Ripoli's men - currently 16th in Ligue 1, two points clear of the relegation zone - host mid-table Bastia on Saturday before travelling to 18th-placed Evian on Wednesday in a rearranged fixture.

Then, after playing at Europe-chasing St Etienne the following Sunday, they take on another side battling against the drop in Caen at home on March 14.

And when asked if the next few games represented the most vital period of Lorient's campaign, Abdullah told www.fclweb.fr: "Yes, because we will face direct competitors for survival.

"We will give everything to win. We'll take the matches one after the other - all of them will be important."

Lorient are heading into Saturday's encounter unbeaten in their last three fixtures, having drawn at home with Montpellier and leaders Lyon either side of a victory at Reims.

And they face a Bastia side who are on a roll of their own, with their unbeaten run in the league now at nine matches and the last three of those being victories.

Abdullah has no doubt Saturday's meeting will be a decent contest.

"Bastia, like us, have good momentum," the 21-year-old Frenchman said.

"It will be a good game, and a very important one for our future. We are not too far from Bastia (who have five more points than Lorient) while being close to the relegation zone.

"I expect a great opposition to present a formidable challenge. We must be well prepared to try to win this game."