Lyon hopes to win against AS Rome on Wednesday at Groupama Stadium (9 p.m.) during the 4th day of the Champions League in order to ensure their qualification for the quarter-finals of the event and is counting on its defense to achieve this. impermeable.
The “most important match before the break”
In the first leg, on November 13, against the Romaines, the Lyonnaises won 3-0 and took first place in group A with three points ahead of the Italian team.
A victory this time will allow them to be certain of appearing in the Top 8 for the sixteenth time in their history, two days from the end of the first phase.
“We can already ensure qualification so it’s a big match, undoubtedly the most important before the break,” concedes OL coach Joe Montemurro.
To obtain this performance, Olympique Lyonnais can rely on an iron defense, which has not conceded a goal in ten matches, which must nevertheless be put into perspective with the value of the opponents, particularly on the national level.
Defensive DNA
“It’s pleasant because we score a lot of goals and we don’t concede any,” rejoiced Amel Majri after OL’s victory against Saint-Etienne (11-0) on November 16.
Already, on November 9, Lyon won 8-0 at Guingamp in a Premier League in which the Rhone club is undefeated leader with seven wins and one draw (39 goals scored for two goals conceded this season). It was against Fleury (6-2), at the opening of the championship, on September 20, a clean sheet for 944 minutes.
Wednesday in Rome, Vanessa Gilles, who scored Lyon’s third goal, underlined “the importance of scoring but also that of ‘clean sheets'”, that is to say not conceding a goal.
“It’s something that shows the character of the team, not just the defense. It’s in our DNA and we are very proud of it,” insisted the Canadian international center back.
Horan with the baton
“We are not only focused on the defensive aspect, but also on our ability to win balls in decisive areas where we can immediately attack,” said Joe Montemurro.
In fact, defensive solidity allows, as always, to attack well, which can benefit in particular from the American Lindsay Horan, in great form this fall after being Olympic champion with the United States this summer in Paris.
She scored four more times against Saint-Etienne on Saturday in the league, for the first quadruple of her career. “My goal is to be more decisive this season,” underlined the midfielder who has just scored ten goals in nine matches in all competitions including nine in six days of the French championship. That’s three more than his total from last season.
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