Stade Rennais FC vs Lille OSC preview -Girard wants cutting edge

Posted Saturday, October 25, 2014 by PA

Lille boss Rene Girard has demanded his side start scoring more goals.

Girard felt Les Dogues produced some decent football in Thursday's 0-0 Europa League draw at home against Everton and believes their standard of play in general has been encouraging.

But their results show three defeats from their last four Ligue 1 games and in their past eight fixtures in all competitions they have scored one goal at the most per match, drawing a blank on four occasions.

Ahead of Sunday's league trip to Rennes, Girard said: "We need to score.

"I'm not really sure that we need to be more dangerous exactly, I am relatively happy with the football we are producing.

"But in the end we lacked the goals we needed to win (on Thursday night) and, in football, goals decide everything."

Prior to Thursday's game, Girard had attempted to ease some of the pressure on a man who could solve their finishing problems - Divock Origi, scorer of four goals for them so far this term.

The attention on the teenage forward this week was considerable, particularly given he is on loan at Lille from Everton's derby rivals Liverpool, and, although Origi could not find the net in the encounter, Girard believes the Belgium international put in a creditable display.

He said pre-match that Origi should not be expected to notch 20 goals this season, but does think the 19-year-old is a "great striker in the making".

"I was satisfied (with Origi's performance on Thursday)," Girard said.

"It was quite similar to the team performance - he showed some really good things, and he is a very promising, great striker in the making.

"If you compare him to the great strikers who were on the pitch in that game, like Samuel Eto'o or Romelu Lukaku, I don't think you see too much of a difference between the three of them."

Rennes boss Philippe Montanier has little doubt things will come good soon for Lille in attack and is hoping they can have one more off day on the goals front on Sunday.

He is also eager to see his side address their own scoring problems. Apart from an early-season 6-2 victory over Evian, Rennes have notched just five goals in nine Ligue 1 games.

Montanier, whose side begin the weekend 13th, said on www.staderennais.com: "I hope our friends Lille will settle their problem after our game.

"For us, we can produce a good performance, but if efficiency (in front of goal) is not present, there is no real progress.

"I feel we are not far away and hope it will materialise."