The Lyonnais won against FC Metz (2-1) in the 32nd round of the Coupe de France thanks to a header from Lukeba from a corner in the 77th minute (2-1) this Saturday, January 7.
After an hour of goalless play, everything accelerated in the space of two minutes on the lawn of Groupama Stadium. It was young OL striker Barcola who opened the scoring in the 61st minute. This is his first professional goal. But in the process, FC Metz reacted by equalizing thanks to Jallow, who sent a missile from outside the area. His shot hit the Lopes crossbar before returning (1-1, 63rd).
After a highlight in Metz, it was Lyon defender Lukeba who delivered his team by scoring with a header from a corner (2-1, 77th). OL then resisted until the final whistle and therefore qualified for the knockout stages of the Coupe de France. A big breath of fresh air for the players of Laurent Blanc, struggling in Ligue 1 (8th in the standings).
In the first half, Dembélé had missed a superb goal opportunity.
It’s only a round of 32 of the Coupe de France, but for Olympique Lyonnais the match against FC Metz on Saturday January 7 at 3:30 p.m. carries a big stake. For Laurent Blanc’s players, who occupy 8th place in Ligue 1, far from European places, the Coupe de France becomes the shortest way to qualify for the European Cup for next season.
“A victory is worth all the talk to ensure that everyone is behind the club and the team“, insisted Laurent Blanc Thursday in a press conference. The Lyonnais coach, who succeeded Peter Bosz at the beginning of October, recalled that the tense atmosphere around the club “dated back a very long time”. “The Cup can be one of the elements that can unite us, but all victories are good to take and constitute remedies for the evil that we have. The match against Metz is therefore important because it is a cleaver match”he concluded.
On the lawn of Groupama Stadium this afternoon, the Lyon coach is therefore fielding a competitive team, even if Alexandre Lacazette, the leader of the Lyon attack, does not start the match because of hamstring pain.
On the other hand, Cherki, revived by Laurent Blanc and scorer during the victory in Brest in December, is there. He will evolve alongside Dembélé in attack. On the other hand, the Argentine world champion Tagliafico, who was expected to start, will be on the bench of substitutes. It is Diomande who is lined up in defense alongside Kumbedi, Da Silva and Lukeba.