Ibisevic has been performing well in training for the first two days and has been in good form in training to help him settle into the squad more quickly, with Fernandes placing him in the squad for the French Cup against Marseille. Fernandes still did not field a full squad for this game, as it was the second Lorraine derby of the season that followed.

The derby is clearly more important than the cup. Anyway, in the cup competitions of recent seasons, Metz has played soy sauce. Basically, after two rounds of play, I went home. Therefore, the only main players in Metz who went to Marseille to challenge the strong opponent were Chu Zhongtian, Menez and the entire backline, and this was the first game after captain Bobiconi returned from injury, and he was a little faster than expected to recover. All other positions are substitutes.

He didn't send all the substitutes or reserves, the youth army. That's because, after all, the opponent is Marseille, and if you want to lose not ugly, you can't be too indulgent.

On January 30, the Metz team left for Marseille, and Ribery and Promans stayed in Metz, where they could have a day off and do whatever they wanted.

Judging by the media reports, it was a game that few were looking forward to. In terms of strength alone, Marseille is stronger than Metz. In terms of the attitude of Metz towards this game, there is no one who thinks they can beat Marseille in an upset. The media is more concerned about the next "Lorraine derby".

“…… The cup was followed by a derby and I think any normal coach knows what to do. Fernandes can't guarantee a win in every cup game, but he can guarantee a derby win on his home turf. This was the comment of the French newspaper La Teams.

'If I were Fernandes, I would have given up the cup and the Derby. Is there anything to hesitate about? This commentary comes from the pre-match analysis program of the French television channel Canal+.

Even the most common words in the local media in Metz are the words "Lorraine Derby" and "Nancy". As for this 1/6 final against Marseille...... Who cares if you win or lose? They never expected anything to do well in the cup. This cup has always been a place for Metz to train the youth army. Occasionally, there are good grades, but they are all the result of shit luck...... So what do the Metz players who went to Marseille think?

"I still hope to win." In the dressing room of the Stadevélodrome, the Metz players are making their final preparations for the upcoming match, and they have already warmed up.

The person who said this was Chu Zhongtian. "Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go any further? Of course we have to focus on the next derby, but if we can win the derby, won't it be the best of both worlds? ”

In fact, everyone here wants to win, and no one wants to lose. But Chu Zhongtian wants to emphasize.

Fernandez clapped his hands and praised Chu Zhongtian's performance: "Of course we have to win, don't think that I don't want to lose if I don't let the whole main force play." Actually, I think it might work better with this lineup on an occasion like this. I know some of you are hungry to play and the performance in this game will determine whether you can get more plays. ”

Speaking of which, he looked at the two newcomers who started the game, Jura and Ibisevic, who were the two starting strikers in this game.

His meaning is very clear, newcomers, if you want to gain the trust of me as a manager, then please show your quality in this game!

This is undoubtedly the best pre-war mobilization, much better than the impassioned rhetoric of the last one.

※※※Why is the media not optimistic about Mace? Just look at the starting line-ups of both sides for this game - only Chu Zhongtian and Menez can be regarded as the main force in the attacking lineup of the Metz team, while Marseille is almost the main force.

Chu Zhongtian saw Rorick on the court again. Kanna, the other party was still staring at him, but he just stopped his gaze on his face for a moment, and then moved to Nasri.

His main task in this game was to defend, because Proman did not come, he played as a defensive midfielder. Menez, on the other hand, played as a midfielder.

Chu Zhongtian hadn't been a pure defender for a long time. Menez will be tasked with organizing the attack, and he will protect Menez.

Rorick. Kanna just demonstrated to Chu Zhongtian with his eyes, because his opponent in this game was not Chu Zhongtian, but Menez. He's a midfielder, Menez is a midfielder, and the two guys are right on top. But he himself had some thoughts on Chu Zhongtian. In many encounters, he knew that Chu Zhongtian was a midfielder with excellent offensive ability, maybe in this game, if Menez fell into his own tight guard, Chu Zhongtian would rush up to participate in the attack?

So he has to be ready.

Just as Kana continued to stare at Chu Zhongtian with his eyes, the referee blew the whistle for the start of the game.

Not long after the game began, Metz was hit hard - in the seventh minute, they conceded a goal!

At that time, Chu Zhongtian was confronting Nasri, who did not choose to break through forcibly, but turned back. Chu Zhongtian hurriedly pressed up, and at this time he passed the ball to the side.

Marseille's young left wing-back Taivo (taye_taiwo) cut in from behind at high speed, received a pass from Nasri, and then forced his way down the flank to force his way past Metz's right-back Frank. Beria.

He then crossed to Marseille striker Mikel, who followed up in the middle. Pagis (mickal_pagis) leaped high and smashed the ball into the net with his best header.

"Oooo What a great start! Just seven minutes into the race, Marseille took the lead! That's great! The narrator shouted. It looks like they won this game with ease! Metz, who played with half of the substitutes and half of the main lineup, obviously couldn't stop Marseille! ”

The Metz players looked frustrated after conceding the goal, and it was very demoralizing to concede the goal too quickly...... Fernandes sat in the dugout without any indication. The goal conceded was entirely a difference in the quality of the players on both sides. Beria couldn't stop Tevo and let him cross easily. And the defenders in the middle were not able to keep up with Paggis, and they went to watch the game, but missed the Marseille center forward behind them.

Chu Zhongtian scolded on the field: "Damn it......"

Judging by the seven-minute game, Jura also played one more game because the two strikers who teamed up with Menez were both players who had just joined the team, and Ibisevic was making his first appearance for Metz. There is no tacit understanding at all.

It's really difficult to play like this and still want to win...... "The start was not good for Metz, Jura and Ibyšević have not shown their ability, Jura is a very fast player, and Ibisevic ...... To be honest, I don't really see anything he's capable of. They don't go well with the team. Speaking of which, Fernandez was really surprised to see Ibisevic - how could a player who has always played for Dijon in Ligue 2 be favored by Fernandes? Maybe we can see a clue in this game......"

While the Marseille players were celebrating, Chu Zhongtian took advantage of Menez, Ibisevic and Jura, Reynolds and Hemsa . Mihobie (hemza_mihoubi) called together. That's all the attacking players that Metz has on the field. Captain Bobiconi's task is to organize the defense, and he usually doesn't care about these things, so he has to rely on Chu Zhongtian, the tactical core, to gather strength.

"We should simplify some of the offensive coordination." Chu Zhongtian said to Menez. "If you get a chance, get out of the ball."

Menez's technique is so good that it's easy to get used to playing with his footwork, and as a result, he loses some of the passing opportunities that would have been good. This may be the difference between a player with good technique and a player with average technique. Chu Zhongtian's skills are average, so he never sticks the football under his feet and plays a few tricks before passing the football out. As soon as he sees the right moment, the football will be passed by him immediately.

If this had been said to Menez by someone else, Menez would have frowned and pushed back. But it worked very well with Chu Zhongtian, Menez nodded and did not object.

"Ibi has a body, he can protect the football. We should cooperate with him. Once he gets the ball, everyone has to come forward and respond positively. Chu Zhongtian told everyone about his plans. There was no objection.

"Ibi, you have to pay attention to our position too."

Ibisevic nodded.

The first game he played in Metz was such a strong opponent, and he also felt a little nervous.

"If you have a better chance, you can hit the goal yourself and don't pass everything. You're a center! ”

The Marseille players celebrated, and the impromptu meeting of the Metz attacking players ended.

Chu Zhongtian returned to his position, and then he turned around and gestured to the two fullbacks behind him, who actively inserted when the team was attacking.

Anyway, it's already lagging behind, and there's no point in holding on any longer. This is not a Champions League, there is a home-and-away system. The French Cup is a single-knockout match, and losing this game is equivalent to losing all the games.

"We don't have a choice, let's attack!" Chu Zhongtian slapped his face and shouted at the people behind him.

※※※After the restart of the game, it was clear that the Metz team had stepped up their attack. And Marseille did not flinch and fought against the Metz team. For a while, the scene was very good-looking.

First, Nasri burst into the box with three people in a row, only to be stopped by a defender at the last minute. Then Menez, who was also known as the "U17 Three Less", suddenly fired a cold arrow from outside the penalty area, forcing Marseille goalkeeper Cedric. Caraso (cédric_carrasso) made a good save.

And then Rorick. Khanna fouled Menez and received a yellow card. As a result, none of the Metz players on the pitch were good at taking free-kicks. In the end, Chu Zhongtian volunteered, went up with a football, and shot a powerful long shot. His shot didn't go through the goalkeeper and went straight at Nasri in the wall. Nasri was beaten and fell to the ground on the spot, and the team doctor came on the field for a while to recover.

Towards the end of the first half, Menez abruptly switched to the flank, and after a series of brilliant dribbles, he slashed the ball into the box. Ibisevic came out of the middle of the defenders, received the ball and faced the goalkeeper directly!

"It was the best chance of the first half for Metz! Ibisevic's single knife! He shot - missed! It's a shame......"

Ibisevic looked a little lacking in confidence in the face of the oncoming goalkeeper Carrasso, and the shot went wide. It's a pity that football went out of the door. He himself held his head in his hands, very frustrated.

Not long after that shot, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half.

Metz temporarily trailed Marseille by one goal in the first half.

Fernandes did not criticize anyone at half-time, on the contrary, he was satisfied with the team's performance in the first half.

'We were down by one goal and we had chances in the second half. As long as you are patient enough. ”

Fernandes didn't say much about the chance that Ibisevic missed in the final stages of the first half, only telling Ibisevic that he should have more confidence in the face of such opportunities in the future.

The team's performance in the first half was really good, although it was only half of the main team, but it was able to quickly adjust its mentality after conceding the goal and drew with Marseille. Fernandes doesn't have much to adjust, just let the players continue to play like this.

※※※After the start of the second half, the Marseille team wanted to take the opportunity to launch a round of onslaught and score again, completely destroying the fighting spirit of the Metz team.

The Metz players are certainly well aware of this. If they concede another goal, this game will not be played, and the difference in quality between the two sides, plus the difference of two goals, is enough to destroy the Metz team.

So you can't concede a goal no matter what.

Metz then stuck to the box, and even Ibisevic consciously retreated into the box to help the defence.

Fifteen minutes passed, Marseille did not score, and the Metz team began to plan a counter-attack.

In the 67th minute, the Metz team attacked. Chu Zhongtian handed the ball to Menez in front. Menez didn't continue to dribble the ball and he saw the timing to pass it to Ibisevic, who was running in front of him.

Ibisevic has the ball with his back. Marseille defender Frederick. Dehu (frédéric_déhu) stood on top of him and wouldn't let him turn around. But he couldn't easily cut off the ball at Ibisevic's feet.

That's what Fernandez sees in Ibisevic. Since Bam Adebayo's departure, Metz have been unable to find a centre-forward who can control the football up front and act as a fulcrum for his teammates.

It looks like Ibisevic can make up for it.

After Ibyševich protected the ball, he waited for his teammates to come up and pick him up.

And Rorik. Seeing that Ibisevic couldn't get rid of Dehu for a while, Cana turned and rushed towards him, intending to wrap up with Dehu and break the ball of Metz 19.

As he left Menez, Ibisevic passed the ball back.

Menez faced the goal, and in the face of Ibisevic's pass, he adjusted his pace on the run and made a stance to shoot directly from distance.

Rorick. Seeing Ibisevic pass the ball back, Kana quickly turned around and pounced on Menez. At the same time, another Marseille defender, Andre Anderson. Luiz (andre_luis_garcia) also made a move to block the shot.

Menez didn't shoot directly from distance, but flicked the ball to the right, dodging the pounced Canna, and then he broke through to the penalty area with the ball!

Menez, who burst into the penalty area, suddenly shot again! The ball rolled into the goal from the inside of the goalpost against the turf!

Marseille goalkeeper Carrasso didn't expect Menez's first shot to be fake, and the second shot came so quickly, he couldn't react, so he could only stand in place and watch the football roll from the side of the post into the goal...... "Jeremy. Menez! He equalised for Metz! Beautiful goal! He deceived two Marseille players! At this moment, Cana and Luis can only serve as a background for him! ”

After the goal, Menez took the initiative to hug Ibisevic, who assisted him, and the other Metz players also flocked to the two of them.

※※※After the score was tied at 1:1, the Metz team did not give up attacking, but continued to look for opportunities to score. The Marseille team was also in a hurry, and they intensified their attack. The two teams once again played against each other in the game.

The two sides are going back and forth, and the attack is very lively.

Marseille underestimated Metz at first, but now he wants to get serious and realize that it is not so easy. The two fullbacks frequently assisted, but Chu Zhongtian grabbed the gap behind them and passed the ball to the players in front of them.

In the 79th minute, Marseille besieged the Metz goal for five minutes in a row, including two shots on goal, which almost went in, but were saved by the tenacious Metz players.

Just after that, Mace suddenly launched a fast attack. Bobigoni broke the ball and passed the football to Chu Zhongtian, who took two steps forward and handed it to Yura, who was cutting forward at high speed on the side.

Yura's speed is quite fast, and Chu Zhongtian, according to his characteristics, passes the balls in the direction of Yura's running, and the balls that are quite far away from him are just to give full play to Yura's fast speed.

Jura ran fast, and the Marseille players couldn't keep up at all. After receiving the ball, Yura did not hesitate and swept the ball directly to the middle, this time it was Menez again!

After receiving the ball, he smashed Huanglong, and in front of him was only a Marseille defender Dehu and a goalkeeper Carazo.

It's easy to deal with.

Menez forced his acceleration to make Dehu think he was going to overtake, and after causing Dehu to move early, he suddenly made a sharp stop, dunked the ball back, and shot again with his right foot. The ball arced, bypassed the pounced Carazo, and flew into the goal!

"The second ball! The second ball! but！ buuuuuuuut！！ The TV commentator yelled, he didn't expect the Metz team to complete the comeback in the second half. It was Menez's second goal of the game! His performance was simply fantastic! It reminds me of the talented teenager who scored a hat-trick against Bordeaux last season! Yes, that genius Menez is back! ”

“2：1！ Marseille is in trouble! ”

After Menez's goal, Fernandez continued to strengthen the attack by replacing Mihoby with Oblagnac.

"It doesn't look like he wants to start defending right now!" The commentator commented on Fernandez's substitution. 'Oblagnac came on to help Metz with possession and breakthrough in midfield. He's also a fast and good dribbling wide player who can cross......"

The Marseille team did not expect that Metz did not retreat after taking the lead, but continued to insist on attacking. This trick caught them off guard.

For the next ten minutes, they did not organize any effective attacks at all. Because Chu Zhongtian has been personally forcing Nasri. And Nasri has not performed very well since he was kicked to the chest by Chu Zhongtian with a powerful long-range shot in the first half. Rorick. Kanna had the heart to step forward, but he was afraid that after he went up, that Menez would be unguarded and cause more trouble, so he had to do it.

Nasri could not organise the attack, and Marseille could only rely on the simplest style of play, allowing the wings to constantly attack the back line of Metz, and the full-back appeared to be very active. It's just that after his characteristics are familiar to the Metz players, it is much easier to defend.

When the referee blew the whistle for the end of the match, the Metz players hugged each other – they beat their rivals Marseille and qualified for the quarter-finals of the French Cup!

"Congratulations Mace! Menez was the best player of the game, and he was also the biggest hero of the Metz team's comeback victory! The commentator was full of praise for Menez's performance.

Fernandes, on the other hand, was most pleased with the performances of his two new signings. Ibisevic and Jura each had an assist, and Ibisevic's performance on the pitch gave Fernandes confidence that they finally had a centre-forward who could play for his teammates and form the fulcrum of the attack.

(To be continued)