Lens boss calls for 'madness' in Coupe de France
Lens boss Pierre Sage believes his side must bring "madness" to the Coupe de France final if they are to defeat Nice.
Lens has already enjoyed an impressive season, finishing second in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Champions League, though it has a trophy well within its sights.
Lens has defeated Feignies Aulnoye, Sochaux, Troyes, Lyon and Toulouse en route to the showpiece, scoring 16 goals across those wins and conceding six.
Adballah Sima has netted four goals in the competition for Lens this season, with only Julio Enciso, Mason Greenwood (both six) and Bamba Dieng (five) scoring more often.
Although Lens is favourite, Sage believes it must be prepared to match Nice's attempts to level the playing field.
"A final is decided by status, but also by madness," he said.
"Even if we are considered favourites, we will have to bring that madness because Nice will know how to do it. We will have to play one of our best matches of the season to win.
"We know that in a football match, anything is possible. That's the beauty of this sport.
"We're determined to play a great match, and we're also wary of our opponents. As long as the match hasn't started, it's 0-0, and everything is still to play for.
"During a final, all it takes is a dramatic turn of events, and the psychology can shift. One goal and everything can change.
"The initial idea is this [to expect Nice to play with a low block], but the Nice staff might want to surprise us, in which case it will be up to us to find a way to respond."
Despite Nice's progression to the final, its league campaign is not over as they face St. Etienne in the relegation play-offs.
The club's hierarchy has previously stated their priority is staying in Ligue 1, and Dante mirrored those feelings.
"This final can give us another boost; we can win a title. And after this match, we can focus on correcting our past mistakes," said the Nice defender.
"We have three finals."
