Having struggled on the national scene in recent weeks, OL take on Fenerbahçe this Thursday (6:45 p.m.). With the objective of securing a place in the top 8, but also of moving forward.
They set foot in a magnificent region, that of the Bosphorus. Arriving in Istanbul late Tuesday afternoon, the OL players were able to enjoy the splendors of the city during their walks. This Thursday, from 6:45 p.m., they will get to know another local specialty, the very special fervor of the Istanbul public.
This poster for the seventh day of the Europa League will have many challenges, for Fenerbahçe of course, but particularly for Olympique Lyonnais. The sporting situation in C3 is good for Alexandre Lacazette and his teammates, but for different reasons, victory is almost imperative in the great Turkish city. There is a top 8 to ensure first of all, but also a dynamic to redress.
Between transfer window and future of Sage, heavy context around OL
Here are six outings that the Rhone residents seem to have lost what made them strong from October to December. They are no longer progressing in Ligue 1 and have a string of performances that are mediocre at best, and in the worst case, unsuccessful. In fact, the context has become heavy around the group, between transfer window and questions about Pierre's future. Sage.
Not the best way to approach this duel against the second in the Super Lig. “When we listen to what is said or written, I have the impression that we must be 100% from the beginning to the end of the season. It's impossible. We are humans, and even clubs like Real Madrid or Manchester City have difficult times, recalls Clinton Eye. It's part of football, and the most important thing is knowing how to bounce back to change the situation. That's what we're trying to do […] But I think we are well ranked (sixths) in the championship, even if the results in recent weeks are not there.”
Mata plays down the situation
When he spoke, the defender especially tried to play down the drama and calm the game, both on the field and off to the side. “The extra-sporting aspect should not impact us. There are always things to say, even more now that we're a little worse off, judges the Angolan international. This is the moment when we can be hit. I don't take it seriously, and if it's true, that's only the president's business.”
-It’s quite a paradox for OL. By losing this Thursday, he would not compromise his European future, nor even a possible place among the top eight. But it would sink a little further into its negative spiral, and would put Pierre Sage in a delicate position, considering the episode between John Weaver and Paul Fonseca.
Faced with this, the Rhone coach kept his guideline after Toulouse (0-0), namely to be positive and confident. “The team is still alive. We are keen to qualify (for the top 8, Editor’s note). I've always been told it's one of the hottest atmospheres in Europe, so I can't wait to experience that […] After Bourgoin, we played another match in a different context, and we reacted positively. A season is not linear, he insists. You can very well give a good performance and follow up with a very bad one. Today, we have come a long way, we are in the process of healing ourselves as we saw against Toulouse. Now we have to confirm against Fenerbahçe.”
Win to move forward
Clinton Mata said nothing else. “It's an important meeting because if we succeed, we will qualify for the round of 16. Some will discover the atmosphere of a Turkish stadium. For my part, I know how it goes, we will be eagerly awaited and the fans will be very excited. The most important thing for us will be to be focused on our performance“, confirms the defender.
The face displayed by OL will also be closely scrutinized, with the hope of seeing Olympique Lyon conquering in the Europa League (fourth) and not the one stammering on the national scene. “We expect to play a complicated game after having studied our opponent. We see that this is a team that puts a lot of intensity, that defends by advancing and that wants to impose the rhythm of the match. This will be even more the case when playing in his den. It's up to us to answer that, in battle, Sage warns. You will have to take advantage of the situation to rush into spaces at the right time.“Reassure yourself, validate your place in 8th and move forward… Quite a program for this trip to the other end of Europe.
