With two center forwards finding their way to goal, OL have resolved some of their problems from the start of the season. However, in Lyon's development, the defensive base remains a real work in progress for Pierre Sage and his staff.
Four goals to Karabaghfour goals against Nice. Last week was rather prolific offensively for theOL. It's been a while since the Lyon team managed to be so successful against the opposing goal and that changes a lot of things. By being realistic, it avoids headaches as we have seen in recent outings and this inevitably translates into more positive results. With Alexandre Lacazette and Georges Mikautadze once again successful, the entire collective is reaping the benefits.
However, this offensive strength is still accompanied by a certain defensive feverishness. Sunday against Niceit was above all the realism of OL which made the difference, because statistically, the Aiglons were equal and had the opportunities to score. This point, Alexandre Lacazette did not fail to emphasize this after the meeting. “This victory feels good, but there is still progress to be made. I think we are still conceding too many chances.”
The repercussions of a philosophy carried forward?
With only two goals conceded three days apart, one might think that the OL captain is being a little too harsh. However, in 180 minutes played last week, the Lyonnais saw their opponents shoot 33 times on goal. Certainly, only eleven were on target, but it notably took a Lucas Perri decisive to avoid seeing Qarabag and Nice find glimmers of hope in these meetings. Even when faced with two opponents within their reach, Pierre's players Sage manage to get into trouble on their own. Is defense the next project for the coach and his staff?
Not necessarily for our two consultants in “As Long as There Are Gones”. “More than the defensive line, it’s above all a collective problem. We started with a mid-block against Nice and as soon as we scored, we started to move back collectively,” Enzo noted. Real. However, in Sage's playing philosophy, the principles would be those of defending while advancing. But on Sunday, the pressing was lacking, especially in the second half. “We had a little more difficulty with pressing in the second half, we fell back a little too much for my liking”confirmed the Lyon coach for his part.
A problem above all on rapid transition
In recent weeks, the quality of Lyon's counter-pressing has been praised by everyone. Thanks in particular to Corentin TolissoOL managed to recover the ball high enough and therefore appear dangerous. We saw it again against Nice, only we still lack this consistency. The defensive problem is above all everyone's business, even if the back line necessarily finds itself in the front line when making the general observation. Sunday, Duje Caleta-Car and Moussa No matter what were not very reassuring, any more than Nicolas Tagliaficoput in difficulty by Mohamed-Ali Give until its release.
If the errors are individual, Enzo Reale sees them above all as the result of a collective lack. “If we are more compact, it is easier to defend. When we are left to our own devices one against one, it is more complicated. We have players who prefer to defend by moving forward like Caleta-Car. has a balance to find so as not to end up ten meters from each other. If, from a placed attack, OL manages to manage the opposing possession quite well, it is above all on rapid transitions that the Lyonnais are in difficulty. “Our first curtain is the attackers who must initiate this pressing. That’s why the more compact we are, the less effort we have to make”advanced Nicolas Puydebois for his part.
A lack of complementarity among central offices?
However, this curtain must not be caught too easily, because behind it, it is almost an open door. The fault of a lack of complementarity among our defenders? Last season, Pierre Sage found an unbreakable pair with Jake O'Brien and Duje Caleta-Car. The Irishman used his speed to manage the depth, while the Croatian used his knowledge of duels and anticipation. The loss of O'Brien was not compensated during the summer and the DCC – Niakhaté doublet has the same characteristics. Since the start of the season, Sage has used seven different formulas defensively, even if the duo between the Croatian and the Senegalese is the one who has been aligned the most (7 matches).
However, in the short raise search, both do not seem to really have this quality, just like the ability to manage depth. warmed Omari had been described as such, but must be satisfied with crumbs. What if the solution came from Clinton Eye ? A right-back by training, the Angolan does more than help out in the middle and has a much higher quality of speed than his two teammates. It's not O'Brien's style but it would allow OL to play a notch higher. Because today, when managing a score, the Lyon club tends to retreat rather than suffocate its opponent. Pierre Sage’s new project for the coming weeks?
