Reims’ Anglo-Belgian coach Will Still did not hold back in assessing his side’s second Ligue 1 loss on the bounce. The Champagne side fell 2-0 at home against relegation-battlers Strasbourg on Sunday. The Alsatians’ striker Habib Diallo scored a first-half brace, with his first strike coming after just 16 seconds.
Strasbourg have gone level with Nantes and Brest with 32 points. Meanwhile, 8th-placed Reims have probably all but given up on their hopes of qualifying for any European competition next season. Reims’ famous 19-game long unbeaten run is now a distant memory.
“When you concede a goal after 16 seconds of play, then something is wrong. You can’t afford something like that“, lamented Still to Amazon Prime Video Sport. “We knew very well what they were going to offer, and what kind of trap we shouldn’t have fallen into. And we fell into the trap, like idiots.” Still also criticised his players’ inability to defend Strasbourg’s plays from deep and to win second balls. “Once you’re 2-0 down against a side this experienced and packed with quality, it’s an almost impossible ask. That’s annoying.“
Next week, Reims will travel to an on-fire 9th-placed Clermont side, who have won their last four Ligue 1 outings.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
