Lyon won by a minimum margin at the expense of Saint-Étienne (1-0), Sunday at Groupama Stadium at the end of the 11th day of the championship, thanks to a goal from its captain, Alexandre Lacazette. With this victory, OL climbed to 5th place in the rankings for the first time this season, while ASSE, which has still not won outside of Geoffroy-Guichard, remains stuck in 16th position, that of play-off .
Lacazette (33), who had already scored Thursday in the Europa League at Hoffenheim (2-2), gave his team the advantage in the 29th minute by taking a pass from Corentin Tolisso with his knee after a corner played by Rayan Cherki . This is the center forward's sixth achievement in the derby, which he has won seven times out of thirteen contested. He went to Arsenal (London) between 2017 and 2022, before returning to his hometown. During the last Lyon – Saint-Étienne match at the Gerland stadium, on November 8, 2015, the player notably scored a hat-trick (3-0).
Big highlight
His goal on Sunday marked a big Lyon highlight during which Pierre Sage's team could have scored on a Tolisso rebound that was repelled by the Saint-Etienne goalkeeper, Gautier Larsonneur, before Lacazette, already, found the post on a cross shot ( 26th). An attempt by Malick Fofana also pushed the goalkeeper to make a save (28th). The Greens' goal was to come in on a free kick from Cherki (36th), the latter then narrowly missing the target (45th + 2).
In the second half, Olivier Dall'Oglio's men tried to react but without much danger for Lucas Perri, who however made a save with his foot on a shot from Ibrahim Sissoko, who went on the counterattack.
A match played in front of 58,082 spectators, a record for a derby
Overall, this meeting, played in front of 58,082 spectators – a record for a derby –, without Loire supporters, banned from traveling by the authorities, remained of a very average level. Certainly, it was controlled quite largely by the Rhone residents, with 61% possession. But this superiority remained sterile: overmotivated, the Gones sometimes confused speed and haste in the decision-making zone.
The Lyonnais thought to bring the score to 2-0 by Ernest Nuamah after a pressure on Larsonneur from Georges Mikautadze, replacing Lacazette, who touched the ball with his elbow in the action, prompting the referee Willy Delajod to cancel the goal after having consulted the video assistance (VAR, 81st). As a result, they remained under the threat of a return from Stéphanois until the end.
At the end of the game, Sissoko could have equalized but, too short, he missed his recovery on a cross from Léo Petrot cleared by Nicolas Tagliafico (87th) while Perri had to stop an attempt from Aïmen Moueffek (90th + 2).
See you for the return match, scheduled for April 20, 2025.
