The big victory against the Rangers on Thursday (4-1) suggests the revival of OL. However, the Lyon team will have to resolve certain defensive errors which continue to plague them.
From the negative, theOL got some positives out of it. Beaten, we don’t yet know how, byABOUT on September 22, the Lyon team suffered a moral blow. Rock Sage did not hide it, Alexandre Lacazette neither, when having to put on the playing blue again with the arrival of the Europa League. The European competition was more than a bandage, it was a remedy to allow this group to get back on their feet. Since the defeat against Marseille, theOL has had three victories in a row. With good againstOlympiakosat least good at Toulouseand a very good Thursday at Ibrox Stadium.
If Pierre Sage refuses to say that success on Scottish soil is a benchmark match for his players, the coach appreciated the face that was shown. That of a team which did not bow down in the face of the boiling atmosphere of the stadium and the start of the match at a hundred miles an hour from the Rangers. Events have certainly turned in favor of the Lyonnais with this incredible failure of Cerny in the 8th before Fofana’s goal, but when they could have collapsed following the exits of Matic et Eyeils “showed resource“, of the character itself. The rage of Alexandre Lacazette when unlocking his goal counter then sending a missile into the top corner of Butland is a witness to it.
Perri, symbol of this paradoxical rise to power
This prestigious and stylish victory inevitably brought a smile to the faces of OL supporters. After the Toulouse porridge, they were treated to a much more digestible performance in Glasgow. However, this very offensive success should not make us forget the defensive fragility which still reigns in this group. THE Rangers showed almost nothing on Thursday and yet, at several moments, they were able to either lead or come back and restart the match. Fortunately, in the complicated week that took place with the release of Anthony LopesLucas Perri responded on the ground.
More straightforward aerial exits remain his major area of progress, but to the delight of his teammates, the Brazilian quickly had the hot hand. Two saves in eight minutes and even a third on the handover Tolisso even if he had to bow. Maxence He would lie down was not mistaken when he paid a nice tribute to his doorman. “At the start of the match, Lucas (Perri) gave us two big saves on his line, we have to congratulate him, because he kept us in the match.”. The words of one of the vice-captains of the group may have pleased Perri, who knows very well that he is still far from his best level. Like the rest of the team, he is currently capable of both very good and passable performances against Marseille and this restart error.
Breaks in concentration paid for in cash
It is often said that a goalkeeper making a lot of saves is never a good sign. In this game, Perrias Lopes in his time, largely dominates the debates (25 stops since the start of the season). His surge in the second half was due solely to his own talent, but his saves during the first half highlighted a real defensive imbalance. With the 4-3-3 and a Cherki little sparing of effort, Maitland-Niles found himself left to his own devices. He inevitably suffered and the Rangers rushed into this breach. The whole stadium saw it, Pierre Sage too. “There was a tactical problem to resolve in the first half. We resolved it at the break.” It wasn’t obvious from the stadium, even if the boulevards seemed less enormous. Because this observation applies to the Rangers, but also to Toulouse or for Marseille.
Small mistakes here and there that have big consequences. In Occitania, an error of appreciation of Caleta-Car almost opened the scoring for Toulouse in the 4th minute. Finally, the Croatian and Abner were guilty of poor alignment, benefiting Go away ten minutes later. On Thursday, the Rangers’ hot start to the match allowed them to play in space, but also to rely on a defensive base that was still weak. Throughout the matches, Eye, Tagliafico or Caleta-Car paradoxically show their seriousness and a certain solidity. However, OL still remains weighed down by these inattentions and achieves the feat of putting itself in danger alone. Between offensive and defensive efficiency, Pierre Sage has a balance to find.
