Salomon Kalou Offers Tactical Advice to Lille Ahead of Wolfsburg Clash
Though now wearing the colors of Hertha Berlin, Salomon Kalou hasn’t forgotten his time at LOSC Lille. Ahead of Lille’s Europa League group stage match against Wolfsburg, Kalou—who recently faced and defeated the German side with Hertha—shared valuable insight and support for his former club.
“They’re a very good team, complete in all areas of the game,” Kalou told La Voix du Nord. “We beat them, yes, but Wolfsburg played a very good match. They had more shots and kept possession well.”
Kalou cautioned Lille to adjust their formation carefully, noting that Wolfsburg could approach the game differently on home turf. He particularly warned about Kevin De Bruyne, Wolfsburg’s creative engine.
“We have to control De Bruyne. He’s the accelerator—he touches the ball a lot, moves across the field, plays centrally and wide. If Lille lose possession, they’ll be punished.”
The Ivorian forward also highlighted Wolfsburg’s aerial threat, naming Naldo and Klose as dominant in the air, suggesting that Lille should focus on ground play and creating depth between the lines.
He also pointed out the depth of Wolfsburg’s bench, mentioning the rotation between Bendtner and Olic in attack, and noting the quality of a player like Josuha Guilavogui, who started as a substitute.
Kalou, clearly still fond of his former club, expressed optimism:
“LOSC have a respectable squad. They may be struggling at the start of the season, but they’ll get stronger in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League.”
Lille heads into this crucial Europa League fixture after a home draw against Krasnodar, and they’ll be looking to make a statement in Wolfsburg—armed now with some strategic advice from one of their former stars.
