After briefly emphasizing a few tactical points, Hadzibegic told the players to rest well and prepare for the second half.
De Bruyne spoke to Julien. "You should come more into the center. You're being marked out of the game on the right."
"But that would compress your space."
De Bruyne shook his head. "No, I can drift wide."
With that, De Bruyne looked seriously at Julien. "I know your dribbling ability is excellent, and you can handle the ball well in tight spaces, but we're a team. You need to trust us. I can help you solve problems better. Let's start making crossing runs—trust me, Julien. I can match your rhythm."
As De Bruyne spoke, his eyes never left Julien's. Though he still hadn't fully integrated into Bastia, he at least had an understanding of combination play.
But since he'd started paying attention to Julien, he'd noticed that Julien didn't really treat anyone as a teammate.
De Bruyne felt Julien didn't trust others. He was always trying to solve problems alone.
Julien did provide assists and link-up play, but more often than not, he never expected help from teammates.
He only believed in himself.
To put it nicely, this was confidence. To put it harshly, it was selfishness.
De Bruyne had learned about Julien's background. He knew this was probably related to Julien's lifelong character and playing style.
No matter how much he'd reformed, his nature remained unchanged.
Faced with De Bruyne's words, Julien didn't know what to say. After opening his mouth for a moment, he smiled. "Alright, Kevin."
De Bruyne's eyes remained fixed on Julien.
"A season is very long. You can't carry the team that far alone. This is Ligue 1, not Ligue 2. Your opponents will set complex traps for you. You might get past them once or twice, but they'll keep increasing their defensive intensity against you until you break down."
Julien's smile faded into silence.
De Bruyne's words made him examine himself for the first time. It seemed that not only had his predecessor's selfish playing style carried over, but his own mindset hadn't transitioned from Ligue 2 either.
De Bruyne continued looking into Julien's eyes, his voice softer now as he repeated, "Trust me, Julien."
Julien met De Bruyne's gaze directly and nodded slightly. "Mm."
At that moment, Lukaku came over. "What are you two whispering about?"
Julien immediately broke into a smile. "We were discussing why you didn't bring your shooting boots today."
Lukaku scratched his head. "Ah, that might be because today..."
He thought of various excuses, then finally shrugged. "Okay, my luck wasn't great today. I kept scuffing my shots."
"Haha--"
Both De Bruyne and Julien laughed.
Soon, the half-time break ended, and the players emerged from the dressing room. At the entrance, Hadzibegic , Chataigner, Dominique, and others stood encouraging the players.
When Chataigner saw Julien, he gave him a hug. "Come on, Bastia's captain!"
In the tunnel, the Rennes players looked rather serious—no one knew what Antonetti had told them at half-time.
The Bastia players, by contrast, appeared more relaxed.
For this kind of away match, as a newly-promoted team facing an established Ligue 1 powerhouse, they felt no pressure.
"Stars of Lorient Road!
We sing our red and black!
A century of passion!
Rennes will never crack!
Hearts forever beating!
Glory in our name!
Rennes, oh Rennes eternal!
We'll always light the flame!"
As the players entered the pitch, the Rennes supporters' songs echoed from the stands.
Having pulled back a goal in the first half, they could see hope.
The TF1 commentator described the second-half situation: "Rennes have made no changes, while Bastia have made one substitution—Cahuzac comes on for Cioni. We mentioned this personnel change during the first half: as a fullback, Cioni's turning speed is too slow, making him a weakness for Bastia."
Beep!
The referee's whistle marked the official start of the second half.
Rennes striker Erdinc kicked off.
Playing at home, Rennes naturally hoped to equalize, making this opening period of the second half particularly crucial.
The longer they delayed, the more unfavorable it became for Rennes.
So, after Erdinc's kickoff, Rennes pressed forward as a unit while Bastia quickly retreated.
They'd defend deep and weather this attacking wave first.
Only Lukaku and Julien remained up front—Bastia's two most reliable counter-attacking outlets.
Angoula's defending on the flank remained fierce.
When Alessandrini tried to play the ball through, Angoula used his physical advantage to hold position, then deliberately threw himself off balance while bringing Alessandrini down with him.
The referee called the foul.
But Rennes' quick attack was over.
Hadzibegic couldn't help but nod. This was the difference between Angoula and Cioni.
A defender who'd learned Muay Thai on the streets from childhood was indeed something special.
Rennes continued attacking. But it was extremely difficult.
The home fans could see that once Bastia sat deep, their defensive line was very solid.
Breaking through would be challenging.
"Hey!"
A Rennes cross was intercepted by Cahuzac. Rothen received the ball and shouted.
Lukaku put his head down and charged forward. But he hadn't checked the defensive line or the midfield. Just as Rothen played the pass and Lukaku ran a few steps, the assistant referee raised his flag.
Beep!
The referee immediately signaled Lukaku was offside.
Lukaku spread his hands in frustration.
Just two minutes later, Lukaku challenged an opponent in midfield and ended up on the ground. He got up and adjusted his socks to ease the embarrassment.
Even the commentator laughed: "Romelu provides great entertainment value."
Julien and his teammates were gradually getting used to it.
However, Lukaku might make numerous blunders, but if the opposition gave him just one chance, it would be a genuine opportunity!
59th minute.
Julien dropped deep to receive the ball, then drove forward as Théophile-Catherine and Alessandrini double-teamed him.
Théophile-Catherine even kicked directly at Julien's shin.
After dodging, Julien passed to De Bruyne while making a forward run, completing a one-two with him.
Give and go!
Seeing Julien break through, Théophile-Catherine spun around and grabbed his jersey.
Bang!
Julien had already played the ball into Lukaku's path. After the pass, Théophile-Catherine yanked him down hard.
The referee looked over, ready to blow his whistle, but seeing Lukaku control the ball against Biyik, he immediately gestured for advantage.
Lukaku was in full stride now.
Having learned from his first-half moment of reflection, this time when he reached the penalty area and saw Costil, he didn't overthink it.
He simply hammered it!
Bang!
Lukaku's shot was powerful and direct. Costil, coming out to challenge, instinctively reached out his hand.
So close, yet so far.
Swoosh!
1-3!
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