The step was too high. Opposed to a solid Betis Sevilla team, theOlympique Lyonnais did not have the equipment and resources to return unscathed from this perilous trip, this Thursday evening, for its fourth outing in this regular phase of the Europa League.
Paulo Fonseca’s men were showered in the first half and did not recover. Expected consequence of the decisions of the Portuguese technician, who had assumed the bias of showing up in Andalusia with an eleven kids without experience, before the Ligue 1 shock against PSG.
After a rather timid first half hour, the match changed when Betis found the opening on a corner by Ezzalzouli, too alone in the area (1-0, 31st). A first hard blow before a second on another set piece.
OL did not exist
The much-maligned Antony, who is trying to get back on his feet in Spain after his dark years at Manchester United, took the light in his turn by making the break on an indirect free kick where the Lyon defense showed too much generosity (2-0, 35th).
Just before that, the Brazilian had already had a 2-0 opportunity, without success. Fonseca’s men tried to revolt after returning from the locker room, but they lacked too many things, starting with the precision in the last gesture and the athletic impact. The score no longer changed, despite some ammunition at the end of the match for Betis. It’s a small setback for OL, who concede their first defeat in the European Cup this season.
