This is the end of a perfect week for OL. Four days after having thwarted the forecasts by dropping Juventus Turin (1-0), in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, the Gones dominated Saint-Etienne (2-0), this Sunday, at the end of the 27th day of Ligue 1. A success that allows them to climb to fifth place in the ranking, seven units from the podium. Enough to gain even more confidence, too, three days from hosting PSG in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. Conversely, the situation of the Greens remains very alarming. In a streak of six games without a win, including five losses, Claude Puel’s men are stuck in 16th place, only two points ahead of the barrage place occupied by the Nîmes Olympique.
Lyon arch-dominator in the first period
Arranged to kick off in a 4-4-2, without many executives still pointed in the infirmary (Loïc Perrin, Wahbi Khazri and Kevin Monnet-Paquet, among others) and with Jessy Moulin once again preferred to a Stéphane Ruffier not even chosen for this trip, visitors have long shown a very disappointing face in front of their eternal rival. From the start, the Lyonnais imposed enormous pressure and forced their opponents to back down again and again. Enterprising and carried by the technical mastery of the duo Houssem Aouar-Bruno Guimarães, they hurt on each offensive the Greens who were completely asphyxiated. This ultra-domination materialized in the 27th minute of play on a free kick on the left side by Martin Terrier.
Moussa Dembélé took advantage of being free of any marking to open the scoring by simply touching the ball with his head. With more accuracy in the last gesture, OL could quickly have taken shelter and knocked out this 120th derby in history against ASSE. The figures at the break: 73% possession for Lyon and 403 assists to 112. But as against Juve, the protégés of Rudi Garcia displayed less control in the second period. Not helped by an important technical waste but more incisive, the Greens managed to be dangerous on attempts by Loïs Diony (50th), Miguel Trauco (57th) and Denis Bouanga (58th). Lyon also had 2-0 balls, including Dembélé, and even believed for a moment to break thanks to Lucas Tousart, already decisive in the Champions League. Except that his goal was refused by the VAR for an offside position (64th).
Two goals denied by VAR
The VAR has once again showered the joy of Lyonnais in the 80th. Coming into play eight minutes earlier in place of Terrier, Karl-Toko Ekambi found the flaw with a dry blow of the right foot, but his goal was canceled by the VAR for an offside by Dembélé, who was on the trajectory of the ball. OL also played to scare themselves in the last moments. It notably took an intervention in extremis of Fernando Marçal at the far post to prevent Timothée Kolodziejczak from shooting Anthony Lopes (88th). Failing to be decisive for his own, the Stéphanois defender offered a penalty to the Gones at the very end of the match by pushing away an attempt by Toko-Ekambi. Dembélé was responsible for transforming the penalty of a panenka (95th). And ignite Groupama Stadium a little more.
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