Evian Thonon Gaillard vs Nantes preview

Posted Friday, October 24, 2014 by PA

Nantes head coach Michel Der Zakarian has urged his players to develop the consistency needed to climb into the top four of Ligue 1.

Only one point separates them from fourth-placed Lyon and they travel to relegation-threatened Evian on Saturday knowing they could continue to snap at the heels of the competition's big guns.

Der Zakarian knows exactly what is required from his team to stay relevant in the hunt for European football next season.

"We need to get involved in our games - in the recovery of the ball, in its use, and be strong in the tackle - otherwise we don't exist," he said.

"We need to be compact and aggressive, but I see that the team have matured.

"They have progressed in play the type of game that we are trying to implement, individually and collectively.

"Next, you have to be consistent in performance. All the time. That's the hardest to do, but it is the challenge facing all teams."

Evian need a victory to ease their relegation concerns following two successive defeats, the most recent of which was a 2-0 reverse at Monaco.

Head coach Pascal Dupraz felt they should have done better in that match and fears the recent losses have had a significant impact on their Ligue 1 outlook.

"The players tried to dominate things against Monaco despite events going against them, but nothing can excuse our poor finishing," he said.

"Our efforts in the previous matches have been reduced to almost nothing. We are now face-to-face with our responsibilities again."