Big ovation to salute this even greater mark for Anthony Lopes in the history of Olympique Lyonnais. He is in fact started this evening, which will allow him to play his 371st match with his training club, and therefore to surpass the immense Grégory Coupet (370 Ligue 1 matches with OL). Only Yves Chauveau, OL’s outstanding goalkeeper in the 1970s, now surpasses him as the most capped Lyon goalkeeper in elite history.
As one could imagine, the Reims attack chosen by Will Still will be two-thirds Japanese, with Nakamura and Ito on each wing, and the Ivorian Oumar Diakité who completes the trio up front.
Henrique Silva (in place of Tagliafico), Rayan Cherki (rather than Ernest Nuamah) and Gift Orban (preferred to Saïd Benrahma) are the three surprise starters for Pierre Sage this evening. Let’s not forget that there is OL-Valenciennes in the Coupe de France semi-final on Tuesday (we may remind you of this often this evening). Note that Lyon would start with a 4-4-2 diamond, with Rayan Cherki in his preferred position, in 10 behind an Orban-Lacazette attacking duo. All of this is attractive on paper.
Hello troop, it’s fun this weekend back from Ligue 1, after a hell of an international break for our Blues (right)? So friends from Lyon, we know that you feared being the laughing stock of France by playing in a Ligue 1/Ligue 2 play-off on June 2 (against neighboring Saint-Etienne?). And not even at Parc OL, which had better things to do with the concert of American star Taylor Swift. It goes to show that we knew how to have a laugh trolling this scenario in December. A classy winter transfer window and heads/play put back on track thanks to Pierre Sage, and here OL are out of the woods for good, or almost.
Let’s say that a new success, this Saturday (9 p.m.) against Reims (9th), would allow OL (10th) to guarantee their place in the elite next season, thanks to a return phase as a contender for the Ligue des champions, nothing more, nothing less. The precious Clinton Mata (suspended) will be the only notable absentee for this match, while THE meeting of the season will take place on Tuesday for the Lyonnais, with this semi-final of the Coupe de France (gift on paper) against Valenciennes (red lantern of Ligue 2).
>> Join us from 8:30 p.m. on Saturday to bring you the pre-match from OL Park, before kick-off at 9 p.m.