Beyond the level of play with the ball, OL also shows that it has the capacity to respond physically to high-intensity encounters. One more string to his bow.
This is a fact that we could have feared when seeing OL challenge Frankfurt on Thursday. Faced with opposition from the Bundesliga, capable of evolving at a high pace and playing vertically to get ahead of the opponent, we wanted to know how Pierre's men Sage were going to react. And the answer is positive, with a completely logical 3-2 success following the domination of the Lyonnais.
The Ligue 1 players managed to impose their sequences of possession, without exposing themselves too much to the rapid attacks of the Germans. By thwarting Eintracht's pressing, they showed that they were now sufficiently confident of their strengths in this area, even against a very good team.
But in addition to succeeding in dominating with the ball, Nemanja's teammates Matic managed to hold on physically for almost the 90 minutes. Proof that they are also progressing in this aspect. “I had the feeling that we had lived up to the demands, the pace, the intensity of such a match. This is particularly what allowed us to deliver a good service. The part demanded a lot in high intensity races, detailed Pierre Sage. But we did the same in Rennes and ultimately, we lost 3-0. It's not what we look at, it's more the game and the result.”
The Lyonnais have fewer air holes
Sometimes guilty of air gaps over ten, fifteen or even twenty minutes, this time OL never gave the impression of being overwhelmed. Even in the final moments, when Frankfurt pushed to come back, he kept the same cursor in the duels and in the defensive work to keep a compact block. To the point that Hugo's partners Ekitiké didn't really have the chance to equalize at 3-3.
The results in this section of the game are therefore very positive before challenging another high-caliber team, PSG (Sunday 8:45 p.m.). “European matches are more intense than in Ligue 1. It was our first real test of the season at this level, and I think we responded well, whether in the duels or physically“, noted Alexandre Lacazette.
By Nicolas Tagliafico to the Rhone captain, via Corentin Tolissoeveryone played their role to perfection in this regard. “This is the coach's number one instruction to his center forward, to add intensity to the pressing. I try to answer this request, personally developed the Olympic vice-champion with France. We attackers are aware that it is very useful for midfielders and defenders.”
Wearing possessions for the opponent
Let's also mention Malick Breathingauthor of a superb score in this register with more than 400 meters run in a sprint, “which is huge“, explained his trainer. “It was something to add to our palette, but it's not just athletic. I also believe that it is linked to the level of coordination between the players, because today, we manage to be more fluid than before, underlined Pierre Sage. Obviously, the efforts to be made are easier in this direction of the game than in that of defense. By increasing the impact of our possessions on the opponent, fatigue is felt less.“
This ability to physically match the standards of the biggest events will be very useful to Olympique Lyonnais at the Parc des Princes. We know that Paris can be embarrassed if adversity manages to surpass it in this section of the game.
Against PSG, OL want to ignore fatigue
But to do this it will be necessary to overcome the two days of less recovery, the Parisians having played Tuesday evening in the Champions League. “It may be a handicap, but I don't want to use that excuse before or after this confrontation, insisted Lacazette. We've known the calendar for a long time, it's part of football. If we play these big competitions, we know that we have to string together big posters. We play in Lyon for that, so we won't complain about facing them two days after the European Cup.”
There remains one, or even two, final efforts to make before the truce and the week of vacation that will follow. The home stretch of a decidedly surprising year 2024, positively on the pitch, from OL. “I think there is still energy. Above all, we want to play this match against this opponent in this ranking context for us. They will then have one more match to play after (in the Coupe de France on December 21, Editor’s note) and time to rest, so they can grit their teeth“, warned Pierre Sage. Its strength will also allow it to adjust if necessary, one of the main advantages of having 28 elements in a group, all without injuries.
