In Lyon, the King or the General to govern? – C3 – J4 ​​- Hoffenheim-OL

« For us, young attackerswe wanted to become like him. At that time, there were models, with Lisandro López, Bafé Gomis, Karim Benzema… We tried to compare ourselves to them, to make the same gestures in training. » These are the words that Georges Mikautadze used in August, when So Foot asked him about Alexandre Lacazette. Nine years after leaving the Lyon training center in 2015, the Georgian returned to his favorite club this summer and now shares the same locker room as his elder brother. A boon for the storytelling Lyonnais, a little less for the mental health of Pierre Sage, who now faces headaches every time he has to compose the front of his attack.

The most hype of the year 2024 on one side, the legend and captain of the club on the other. And in the middle, a coach who has to juggle between the two. Delicate, obviously: Mikautadze (24) has only had four starts this season, each time in Ligue 1. Preferred over the Georgian during the first three Europa League matches, Lacaz' (33) also has seven starts in the league, including only one in common with the Rhone number 69, in a 3-5-2, against Strasbourg: a crazy match (4-3) during which the wearer of the armband stood out a lot, unlike his partner. “I feel like he’s a coach who trusts meMikautadze explained to us, before the start of this new exercise. We talked about the fact that Alex and I will have to play as a pair up front. I don't know the plan exactly, but he wants to see us together. » Complicated, however, to set up in the 4-3-3 dear to the technician.

It remains to be seen the rate of complementarity of these two scorers, who function in a bit the same way: instinctively. “There are several attackers who grew up in Lyon and who cultivated thattestifies Mikautadze. Benzema, Gouiri… We all have this number 9 side, which has nothing to do with the big center forward who blocks two defenders. We like to have the ball and make good use of it. I think that was instilled in us from a very young age and that OL were also looking for these technical profiles. We like to fiddle with the ball, really. » In fact, the strong man of the last Euro took a while to get into it, waiting for the 8^e day to sign a first decisive pass (for Saïd Benrahma, in Le Havre, after an entry at 72^e), and the 9^e to score (with a double at home against Auxerre).

That's it, stats-wise, for the sure guy in Willy Sagnol; but Lacazette does no better, with only three goals (none at home) despite his ten starts. The last two times he was lined up from the start, against Beşiktaş and at Lille, the thirty-year-old was very disappointing, if not catastrophic. The technician explained it at a conference, in Pierre-Mauroy, after waiting for the 85^e to replace the General with Mikautadze: “You know him like me, Alex, even in a match where he is average, he is capable of scoring, on a loose ball… Georges was ill during the week, I accept my decision, even if he could have get in earlier and play more. » One hundred and sixty-six minutes spent together on the pitch in three months: partners on paper, the two Gones are therefore above all competitors, at present.

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