At OL Park,
“It’s a great life lesson. “And yes, Laurent Blanc goes so far this Sunday to qualify a victory (3-1) against Rennes which is unlikely to be remembered by Lyon supporters. Already because the Parc OL was almost two-thirds empty, the total of 44,671 tickets issued communicated by the club being more anecdotal than ever. And above all: the partners of Alexandre Lacazette could rush to the Europa League in the event of success in Nantes (14th in Ligue 1) on Wednesday, then against Toulouse (12th) in the final of the Coupe de France. But no, it’s so much more OL to scuttle the prospect of a first trophy in eleven years at La Beaujoire (1-0), while signing two unexpected successes in the same week in Paris (0-1), and therefore against Rennes, to cling to the “mad hope” of a qualification in the Europa League Conference (youhou).
The debacle in Nantes had however everything of an ultimate KO in this season as cataclysmic as the previous one. A good Easter nap schedule, a stadium without a northerly turn or encouragement, and immediately a ball from the Barcola-Diomande tandem allowed former Lyonnais Amine Gouiri to make this Sunday even more gloomy (0-1, 11th) . “Given the big disappointment we experienced on Wednesday, the first 45 minutes of this match can be explained by fear, technical and mental shyness, explains Laurent Blanc. We are being punished precisely because we do not play and the ball burns our feet. Rennes could even have benefited more. I was convinced that it would go better in the second half, but not at this level. »
“More determination and risk-taking”
Apathetic, like Rayan Cherki whistled by part of the stadium, and without the slightest change made at the break, OL were destined for a tenth defeat this season in Ligue 1, and a knockdown similar to that suffered a year earlier against the band Bruno Genesio (2-4). But precisely since the Genesio era, OL’s main DNA is to be illegible and unpredictable. A sublime long shot from Corentin Tolisso (1-1, 60th), author of the same shot of his first goal since his return to his training club, launched a rather crazy last half hour on the Lyon side. “There was more determination, risk taking, and goals,” sums up a stunned Laurent Blanc.
“We hope it will get us back in after the defeat at Nantes which hurt us a lot. We try to tell ourselves that it’s not over. We will give everything until the end in any case, we will never let go, ”says Bradley Barcola, who closed the OL festival with a caviar from Rayan Cherki (3-1, 79th) , after the 18th goal in L1 by Alexandre Lacazette (2-1, 68th). Marked by the absence of the slightest change on the Lolo White side (take that from the rule of five substitutions), this success against Rennes is the first obtained by OL after being behind since… February 2022.
“It means that mentally, we are able to react, but I see that it’s been a while since we reacted”, smiles in this regard Laurent Blanc, lodger facing journalists pointing out to him that qualification for the League Europa Conference is only five points away. “Two days ago, you told me that there was nothing more to hope for this season”, slips the coach of an OL now 7th in the championship. “We are competitors and we want to reach this fifth place, continues Corentin Tolisso. She is at five points so it is playable. But above all, we must not take ourselves for others since we have just won against Paris and Rennes. »
“Progress is slow and small”
That would be the only thing missing for a club on the verge of being removed from all European competition for the third time in the last four years. Lucid about this, the 2018 world champion is not particularly convinced by the thesis of the click obtained against a Stade Rennais almost as sick as OL.
I hope, I hope… I think we had a different speech at half-time of this match compared to that of Nantes. We managed to talk to each other well together. Even though we lost 0-1, we didn’t give up, we stuck together and pushed. In the heads, it feels good. »
It’s as if Lyon were (finally) vaccinated against any sudden euphoria, which an attacking festival like the one in the last half hour normally suggests. In this regard, the prize goes to the end of Laurent Blanc’s press conference: “Warning, we haven’t done anything extraordinary. We are making progress, but the progress is slow and small at the same time. But here we are, we have to settle for that. A lot of people are waiting for something else but you have to take it easy. In any case, we have no choice, we cannot do otherwise”. Through the voice of his trainer, the seven-time French champion now has no equal to hide his ambitions to return to the fore.