Olympique Lyonnais started its Coupe de France campaign this Friday evening, against Feignies Aulnoye (N2). At the Hainaut stadium in Valenciennes, Pierre Sagehad chosen for this last match of the year to make some rotations in his squad. However, the Rhone residents had to fight to win 1-0 in a match marked by the self-sacrifice of their opponents.
The first period started timidly for Lyon, who were feverish in the face of the attacks of a well-established and cheeky Aulnoye team. The locals, led by a Abeddou untenable on its right wing, increased the number of dangerous incursions, forcing the Lyon defense to remain vigilant. Despite a few alerts, notably on a strike of Said Benrahma in the 16th minute and a backheelAlexandre Lacazette in the 21st minute, OL failed to impose their superiority on the game.
The deliverance finally came just before the break. On a well-placed free kick from 25 meters, Saïd Benrahma cleared the opposing goalkeeper's top corner (42nd), offering Lyon a valuable advantage in a match where clear chances were rare.
Returning from the locker room, Pierre Sage tried to energize his team by launching Rayan Cherki in place of the uninspired Maxence Caqueret. If the Lyonnais showed a better face at the start of the second half, with higher pressure and rapid projections, they lacked realism in the last gesture.
Feignies Aulnoye, far from giving up, continued to pose problems for OL, notably through Malick Sambou, always quick to go deep. In the 63rd minute, a mistake by Descamps in his area could have cost the Lyonnais dearly, but the referee did not flinch.
Despite a few situations at the end of the match, OL were unable to take cover and ultimately had to settle for the minimum. The intensity dropped in the last ten minutes, and Jean Antunes' men, although valiant, did not find the opening to snatch an equalizer.
However, an opportunity in the 86th minute, from a leaky free kick, almost put the two teams back on level terms, but neither player managed to regain the ball.
It was finally Georges Mikautadze who sealed the fate of the match in the 89th minute. Launched from deep, the Lyon striker perfectly managed his face-to-face with Bryan Bernard to score the second goal for Les Gones (0-2). However, the Feignies Aulnoye players did not give up. On an express counterattack in the 90+4th minute, following a Lyon corner, the locals reduced the score thanks to a well-executed action which took the Rhone defense ahead of them (1-2).
Olympique Lyonnais thus ensured the essential with this 1-2 victory at the Hainaut stadium.
