these 5 notable derbies in Lyon in the 21st century

With the return to Ligue 1 of AS Saint-Etienne this season, it is the opportunity to relive one of the biggest derbies in our championship. Often explosive encounters on and off the field. Moreover this Sunday, Greens supporters will not be able to make the trip to Groupama Stadium. In their lair and with their audience, the Gones are superior to their Nemesis. Since 2000 and in 21 meetings in Lyon, Saint-Étienne has won only two matches for six draws and thirteen defeats. Immerse yourself in the history of a unique rivalry.

Lyon's biggest victory: 4-0 on April 30, 2006

It was already 18 years ago. In its best years, Lyon was already crowned champion of France for the fifth time in a row before the meeting. Beyond being Lyon's biggest victory at home against Saint-Étienne in the 21st century, April 30, 2006 was also the biggest collective defeat in the history of derbies. Three days before the end of the championship, OL are already preparing to celebrate their Champion title at Gerland. Initiated by Sydney Govou and Sylvain Wiltord, the Gones decided to play their match with their faces painted and their hair colored in the colors of OL. “We hesitated before the warm-up and then finally we all entered the field like that. We took responsibility until the end.” said the initiator. Total humiliation for the Greens who do not exist, after a huge thrill at the start of the match (Gomis strike on the bar), OL are surgically leading by two goals before the break making the players on the bench exult who are spraying themselves color bombs and serpentines. In the second half Juninho and Pedretti completed Lyon's great success.

Worst defeat: 0-1 on September 25, 2010

In the 21st century, they have only lost two derbies against the Greens but this one remains in Lyon's memories as a sad memory. During the 2010-2011 season, nothing was going well in Lyon, at the dawn of a historic derby (100th match between the two teams in all competitions), the Lyonnais were 17th in the championship unlike their leading opponent of Ligue 1 at the time. If, to everyone's surprise, the locals dominated the first half without ever concluding, upon returning from the locker room the tension rose a notch with eight yellow cards distributed.

Against the flow of play, ASSE obtains a free kick which Dimitri Payet takes perfectly to deceive Lloris. The Habs disgusted Lyon by saving a ball on their line at the end of the match. Final whistle, supporters demand the resignation of Claude Puel (OL coach at the time). And for good reason, it is the first Saint-Etienne victory at Gerland since 1993 and Olympique Lyonnais falls to 18th place in the ranking. To calm things down, President Jean Michel Aulas speaks to his ultras: “We lost against Saint-Étienne for the first time in sixteen years. We play in the Champions League while the Stéphanois play it on the PlayStation. A legendary phrase.

Most prolific: 3-2 on February 26, 2005

It is rare for five goals to be scored in a derby. But in this case, it is the scenario that is original. This 3-2 victory for Lyon during the 2004-2005 season seemed completely acquired after returning from the locker room. Wiltord opened the scoring just before the break and from the start of the second half, Malouda and Frau thought they had closed Lyon's success. If the locals wanted to manage their lead, Feindouno reduced the gap first. Cornered, the Gones even conceded a new goal before the end of the match through Lilian Compan. For his third season in the Greens jersey, Compan even almost got expelled. He comes out on a stretcher immediately after contact with Cris. A meeting which allows him to enter the hearts of ASSE supporters.

The last at Gerland: 3-0 on November 8, 2015

This could also be one of Lyon's greatest victories. For history and for the last derby at Gerland, the Rhone residents had to finish on a good note. If they did not win the 100th five years before, they had to find the path to success after three games without a victory in the league. And they did. A success that they owe to two men, Mathieu Valbuena resplendent for his 150th match in Ligue 1 and Alexandre Lacazette. Criticized for his lack of efficiency the previous season, the General put three shots on target and scored…three goals. He will finish the season with 21 goals. Les Gones left Gerland in the most beautiful way.

The first at Groupama Stadium: 2-0 on October 2, 2016

In a tense context, Lyon almost forgot the symbolism of this meeting. Beaten in the Champions League a few days earlier by Sevilla (0-1) and defeated three times in seven league games, OL took advantage of their victory against the Greens to regain confidence.

Dominated for a long minute, the Gones finally found the fault before the break. Nabil Fekir, after a great individual exploit, turned into a passer for a header from Sergi Darder, making the Spanish midfielder the first scorer in a derby at Parc OL (Groupama Stadium). In the second half, it was the Algerian Rachid Ghezzal who worsened the score with a dry strike at the end of the match to round off his team's success.