Olympique Lyonnais can start dreaming. Winner of Nice (2-1) on Sunday evening at Groupama Stadium, despite the end of the match fought ten against eleven after the expulsion of Keito Nakamura, the Rhone club took first place in Ligue 1 on goal difference. A strong symbol for a team which quickly digested its disillusionment in the Champions League play-offs against Fenerbahçe and which has a string of positive results. From now on, OL is no longer content with doing well and is embracing its ambition to establish itself permanently among the teams that count this season. “If we are first, it’s not for nothing, it’s because we deserve it and we are capable of annoying all the teams in the championship», Said Boudache, convinced of Lyon’s potential. A confidence that is nourished as much by the results as by the solidarity displayed by the group.
Because one of the great strengths of this team lies in its depth of squad unlike last year. After beating Crystal Palace (3-2) on Thursday in the Europa League, Paulo Fonseca made eight changes to his starting lineup against Nice. A significant turnover which did not prevent the Lyonnais from securing a third victory this season after a large rotation, proof that the replacements are capable of responding. Moussa Niakhaté summed up this dynamic perfectly: “What is revealing, above all, is that you saw 11 players on Thursday, and 11 others this evening. In both cases, we won. So we are a group of 25-26 players, where everyone can start, the coach demonstrated it.» A precious luxury for a club engaged on several fronts, which can now count on real internal competition without losing efficiency.
Leader in Ligue 1 for the first time since 2021
This collective confidence is also at the heart of Paulo Fonseca’s speech, who sees in the ability of his players to continue performances despite the changes a major reason for satisfaction: “the group is mentally strong, very positive and works very well together throughout the match. They are supportive and humble and we will continue to work like this. The most positive thing about the match is to see that we can have confidence in all the players. They played with a lot of character and even changing 8 players in my starting 11, the goal is the same.» Against Nice, Lyon first imposed its game before showing character to preserve its numerically inferior advantage. A victory which confirms that Lyon’s ambitions are not based on a single eleven, but on a collective capable of adapting to circumstances and finding solutions in difficult times. “We have a very close-knit team and we trust each other. We knew we were going to win tonight», also insisted Boudache.
For the first time since January 2021 and the 2020-2021 season, OL finished a Ligue 1 day as leader. It now remains to transform this first place into real seasonal dynamics. After regaining color in the league and the Europa League, OL are preparing to experience a decisive week, with a trip to Hoffenheim before a highly anticipated clash at the Parc des Princes against PSG. But Fonseca refuses to skip ahead: “we have Hoffenheim to go for before thinking about Paris Saint-Germain. We take one match at a time, we will see Paris in due time.» For his part, Tanner Tessmann underlined the threat that Lyon could represent for any opponent, driven by its collective state of mind. First place necessarily fuels hopes, but Lyon’s speech remains measured. The objective now is to confirm and demonstrate that this team has the human and mental resources to compete with the best teams in the championship.
