Finally convincing, Lyon remains alive in the race for the Champions League



Lucas Paqueta signed a goal and an assist against Angers. JEFF PACHOUD – AFP

  • By winning seriously this Sunday against Angers (3-0), the Lyonnais returned to one point behind Monaco (3rd), and five lengths behind the Lille leader.
  • After three games without any success in Ligue 1, OL showed a much more convincing face, like the Lucas Paqueta-Memphis Depay tandem.
  • Maxwel Cornet, on the other hand, once again appeared in difficulty defensively against the SCO.

At Parc OL,

OL had everything to lose this Sunday evening. Broken down after three unsuccessful matches in a row in Ligue 1, the Lyonnais found themselves, in addition, playing the last with four points behind AS Monaco (3rd) at kick-off. But they finally signed a convincing match to beat Angers (3-0) and stay in the race for the Champions League, or even more (Losc remains five lengths).

A partly rediscovered collective

No, it was not the impressive OL champion of the fall, then capable of a boss match at the Parc des Princes (0-1). Nevertheless, against Angers, the partners of Memphis Depay have proved that they were not doomed to let go in the exciting race for the podium, or even for the title. Far from their glaring difficulties in the game in 2021, Lyon signed a consistent performance, with a great variety initiated by a very creative Guimaraes-Caqueret-Paqueta trio in the middle.

Lucas Paqueta was everywhere

Predominant in the beautiful first part of the season for OL, Lucas Paqueta has clearly lost his influence during the long weeks of less well for his team. Author on Sunday of his third goal in a week, after an overflow from Karl Toko Ekambi (2-0, 41st), the Brazilian seems to be back at the best time. Generous and inspired, the former AC Milan midfielder set the tone against Angers, even if he distinguished himself by an incredible miss, one meter from Paul Bernardoni’s goal on the opening of the score initiated and concluded by Memphis Depay (1-0, 21st). The technical connection between these two offensive leaders of OL, again at work with an assist from Paqueta and the 16th goal of the season in Ligue 1 for Depay with a winning lob (3-0, 83rd), depends a great deal on the end of the Lyon season.

Maxwel Cornet, deserted boulevard

The finding is certainly not new. However, the choice of Rudi Garcia to reposition Maxwel Cornet as left side, for more than a year, remains a mystery. The former Metz striker allowed Abdoulaye Bamba to feast on his right wing. It is from him that came the two biggest occasions of the SCO, with centers addressed in an armchair to Stéphane Bahoken (parade of Lopes, 17th) and to Mohamed-Ali Cho (author of an unthinkable miss, 66th). The defensive bankruptcy of Cornet, replaced by Melvin Bard (73rd), remains the dark point of the evening of the Lyon awakening.



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