Stade Reims vs Nantes preview - Der Zakarian moving on from spat

Posted Friday, March 06, 2015 by PA

Nantes coach Michel Der Zakarian has insisted his side play by the rules ahead of Saturday evening's Ligue 1 visit to Reims.

Der Zakarian has spent most of the week involved in a spat with Guingamp counterpart Jocelyn Gourvennec following Nantes' 1-0 league victory at Stade de La Beaujoire last weekend.

Gourvennec accused Nantes of being too aggressive and Der Zakarian was clearly fed up fielding questions about his side's approach at his press conference before the Reims game.

"We must stop with this game," he said. "I do not see where there have been attacks - a cut scalp in a sudden accident?

"It happens in every game as football is a combat sport.

"No, I do not have a butcher's team."

The post-match row between Der Zakarian and Gourvennec took the shine off Nantes' first win in eight league games, which went a long way to removing any threat of relegation for Les Canaris.

Substitute Yacine Bammou grabbed the precious winner but the coach was quick to defend starting striker Ismael Bangoura, who was widely criticised for his performance against Guingamp.

"Ismael had good movement but if we do not give him the ball it's not his fault," Der Zakarian said.

"Now we have a team that plays well, knows how to manoeuvre the ball quickly in the corridors."

Reims are three points off the bottom three, having failed to win in eight league games.

But Jean-Luc Vasseur's side have drawn their last three and picked up a creditable away point at Bordeaux last weekend.

"In an evening when the results were not in our favour, the damage was limited," veteran defender Franck Signorino told the official Reims website.

"We are going in the right direction and Nantes will be a very important game."

Vasseur could recall former Liverpool striker David N'Gog to his starting line-up, but Chris Mavinga and Valentin Roberge are injury doubts while either Benjamin Moukandjo or Odair Fortes is expected to make way for Diego.

Bammou is likely to be rewarded for his winner last weekend with a Nantes starting spot and midfielder Lucas Deaux is available after calf trouble.

But defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo is suspended after being sent off late on against Guingamp and Johan Audel remains unavailable with a thigh problem.