Olympique Lyonnais won against Toulouse this Sunday on the 15th day of Ligue 1 (3-0). A valuable result for OL, who remain last but finally give themselves hope of getting their heads above water.
It was a date that OL followers had been ticking off for quite a while, rightly so, or not. At the heart of a hellish schedule until the winter break, Toulouse’s reception at Groupama Stadium looked like an ideal spot to stop the bleeding. At the point where they are, the Gones no longer had any calculations to make. Especially since Téfécé, also stuck at the bottom of the table, presented itself as a direct competitor.
Since the arrival on the bench of Pierre Sage, the Lyonnais had shown two faces. Their first copy was very encouraging, in Lens, a week ago (2-3), before they sank in the great depths in Marseille during a one-sided Olympico (0-3). Sage had relied on historical frameworks to negotiate this extremely important match. Lopes, Lovren, Tolisso, Lacazette were all present at kick-off, as was the controversial Cherki. As if to demonstrate, if necessary, that in this cataclysm, there is no longer any room for moods.
Lacazette sounded the revolt
A smell of chaos hung in the air, but we cannot blame the Lyonnais for not having played the game. On the pitch as in the stands. In front of an exemplary audience, Les Gones played this meeting like a cup match. They have not erased all their faults. In their donkey position, they did not become racehorses, but they put enough heart and desire to overcome the obstacles of the day. With a man to ring out the revolt: Alexandre Lacazette.
The sullen-looking striker of recent weeks has given way to a determined captain. In two stages, three movements – two set pieces to be precise – the striker made his opportunism speak at point blank range to deliver OL with foxy goals from the surface, first on a corner from Cherki extended by O ‘Brien (1-0, 25th), then on a free kick from the same Cherki caught on the post by Tolisso (2-0, 29th).
A very precious advantage that OL managed as best they could. The Téfécé did give some shivers at the other end of the meadow, but Lopes also looked like a good day. The specter of the disaster scenario resurfaced, however, for a moment, just before half-time, when the OL goalkeeper conceded a penalty on a kamikaze exit, but he was able to intervene in the attempt to Dallinga before exulting, the tight point (45+2).
And like a symbol, Lacazette, once again placed in the right place, at the right time, definitively sealed Lyon’s success at the end of the match (3-0, 81st). Lyon finally gets its head above water and comes back to within one point of Clermont. In these times, it’s more than a victory. It was a sharp turn that presented itself in the path of a rugged team. The Lyonnais took it. Without going into the scenery, this time. The rest will tell if they have definitely returned to the circuit.
