Claude Puel reacts to the draw against Lens on Saturday evening at the Allianz Riviera  on Matchday 32 of Ligue 1 (1-1).

Coach, is this a point you are happy with, given how the match unfolded and the contribution of the substitutes?

I’m happy with both the players who started and those who came on. It was a point we went out and earned. It’s been several games in a row where we’ve managed to come back after falling behind. We would have liked to take all three points tonight (Saturday), especially after their red card, but we’re keeping a positive attitude, with a lot of togetherness. In this situation, losing two key players like Jo’ Clauss and Elye Wahi, even if only for the short term, could have affected the squad given their importance, but we saw how we reacted. If we’ve been making progress over the last few weeks, it’s because there’s great cohesion and a lot of togetherness. I think tonight (Saturday) we added an extra dimension to our play. We had some interesting breaks. We didn’t manage to finish them off, but that’s fine, we’re on the right track. It’s only a point, but we’ll take it because they were a tough opponent. I think we saw a good match, with lots of intensity.

Do you have any news on Jonathan Clauss and Elye Wahi?

Elye felt a slight muscle strain. We don’t know when he’ll be back, I hope it’s as soon as possible. Jo' Clauss has a knee injury, a meniscus problem. I hope it’s not too serious either. He had a test, but the results weren’t conclusive. Neither player was fit to play tonight.

You were solid defensively but conceded a goal from your own corner. How frustrating is that?

It’s basic stuff. It hurts because it came from an attacking set-piece. You should never concede on the counter. We didn’t have the right cover and weren’t quick enough to react when we lost the ball in that situation. It’s entirely our fault.

Ali Abdi was decisive once again. You brought him on further up the pitch – were you counting on his effectiveness in the final third?

We changed our system just before the red card. It’s not the first time Ali has played a bit higher. He brings us some verticality, he’s strong in attack with quality crosses. In that respect, he forms a good partnership with Melvin (Bard) sometimes. It’s good because he was opportunistic and that works for us.

A word on Kaïl Boudache’s performance. Was his place in the starting line-up a reward for a good week of training?

He was involved, particularly in the first half, though a little less so in the second. Kaïl has been training well. As we were missing Elye (Wahi), our main striker, I wanted us to stick to what we do when he’s there, and to have a player capable of getting in behind. He played his part just like the others, particularly Momo’ (Cho), who caused Lens a lot of problems. He stretched their defence, used his pace to allow us to break out against this very compact and athletic side.

Did this match provide you with any insights ahead of the Coupe de France final?

I’ve already spoken about this match. For me, there’s no connection to the Cup game, regardless of the result we might have achieved. A Cup match is always very unique. We’re in the league, so we were focused on this match. We’re in a situation that requires us to do so. Lens may have been more focused on the upcoming final, but that wasn’t the case for us at all.