With the spotlight on Paris Saint Germain for the 2012/2103 season and their likelihood of winning Ligue 1, the race for the final two Champions League spots was one of the most exciting in recent years. The usual candidates Lyon, Lille and Marseille were soon fighting unlikely challengers including Saint Etienne and OGC Nice.
Having been able to hold onto their key players during the summer window last year (bar the sale of Hugo Lloris), Lyon made a respectable start to the campaign, winning four out of their first five Ligue 1 matches. Bafetimbi Gomis netted twice against ESTAC Troyes, giving an impression of what this campaign held in store for the front man.
However, with the Europa League to contend with alongside numerous Ligue 1 clashes, results began to slip and any chance of a title shot appeared to be extremely slim, if not dead. As PSG inevitably pulled away at the top of the table and Marseille were churning out results, OL’s league form became rather patchy with a 2-0 home loss to Bordeaux bookended by draws at Lille and Lorient, and later 1-1 draws with relegation prospects Sochaux and Nancy, and 3-0 defeat at Toulouse. Their form in the league picked up after beating Marseille 4-1 in the delayed game 10, and a 1-0 win in the Rhône Derby against bitter rivals Saint Etienne, who found themselves fighting OL for a Champions League qualification spot.
Playing some of their best football in the Europa League, Olympique Lyonnais were unable to hold onto a result against Tottenham Hotspur at Stade Gerland and were eliminated in the second round. A late goal from Moussa Dembele sealed their exit from the competition, despite a valiant effort which included a possible goal of the tournament contender from the ever-impressive Samuel Umtiti at White Hart Lane.
With no more European football to play, their focus could be turned to concentrate solely on Ligue 1 and making sure the club were playing Champions League football next season. They responded to their elimination from the Europa League with a convincing 3-1 win over Lorient. However, they then reached their most difficult period, losing to Bastia, Sochaux and Stade de Reims, picking up only two points from five games, and dropping from second to fourth. It looked as though Lille, the in-form team, would pip them to the all-important third place, but they bounced back with back-to-back wins over Toulouse and Montpellier to get that back, and then held it; a victory against AS Nancy and an away draw at surprise package OGC Nice placed the destiny of the Rhône Alpes club in their own hands on the final day of the season.
With Marseille having seemingly run away with second place, it came down to a 2-0 home win against Rennes to clinch the lucrative and all-important third place in front of a packed-out Stade Gerland. A penalty from Lisandro Lopez in his final game for the team put Lyon in the lead before a world class freekick from Clement Grenier sealed the three points that guaranteed Champions League football for the 2013/2014 campaign.
Having scored 16 in 34 games in the league, Bafetimbi Gomis’ goals helped Lyon to move up the table. His fine form was rewarded with a call-up to the French International squad. Gomis had a good season for the club, but in the closing stages of the campaign, was overshadowed by the brilliance of 22-year-old Clement Grenier. The Lyon academy product scored three important goals including a spectacular half volley in the dying moments against last year’s Ligue 1 victors, Montpellier. However, his season will most be remembered for two exquisite free kicks, reminiscent of OL legend, Juninho – the first came against Nice as Lyon struggled in what was a difficult game, before he added another beautiful goal to his ever-growing portfolio on the final day of the season against Rennes. Keeping hold of Grenier will be extremely difficult this summer amid interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, with the playmaker having only one year left on his current deal.
With Lisandro Lopez leaving this summer, signing a striker should be a priority. Should they hold onto Grenier and boost their firepower, Lyon have the foundations to fight Marseille all the way next season.
FINAL POSITION: 3rd
Review by @guysngals9