Axel Allag, Media365, published on Thursday November 7, 2024 at 11:03 p.m.
In front in the 93rd minute, OL finally broke down and conceded a crazy draw to Hoffenheim (2-2).
Pierre Sage had priorities this Thursday evening. 3 days before the derby against ASSE at Groupama Stadium, the OL coach made 10 changes compared to the last match against Lille (1-1). Thus, Tanner Tessmann, Georges Mikautadze, Gift Orban and the others were given the opportunity to show a competitive face in a European evening. This trip to Hoffenheim, which took place in the Europa League after the setback against Besiktas (0-1), was not an easy task as the Rhone club was dominated in the first period. The two shots attempted at the break were enough to convince us of this.
Opposite, the locals brought in a sought-after Rémy Descamps. A few minutes after Georges Mikautadze's header following a cross from Saïd Benrahma (9th), the OL goalkeeper missed an outing and was saved by an intervention from Caleta-Car in front of Kramaric (11th). Without control of the ball and collective benchmarks, Lyon tried as best they could to repel the attacks of a barrage formation in the Bundesliga, in particular the shot from Moerstedt (29th), and were able to return to the locker room with a draw score well paid for by both the locals and were superior.
A cruel emotional elevator for OL
This obvious superiority unfortunately materialized upon returning from the locker room and it was the Frenchman Valentin Gendrey who was responsible for opening the scoring after receiving a cross from Bischof (1-0, 47th). Without technical accuracy in the transmissions, especially in the middle, Lyon came very close to the penalty on a shot that was a bit too cross from Moerstedt (52nd). It was therefore expected that things would move and, on the hour mark, Alexandre Lacazette, Malick Fofana, Rayan Cherki and Ainsley Maitland-Niles came on. The effect was immediate: transformed, Lyon equalized thanks to the shot from Abner (1-1, 66th) who at the same time broke the series of 43 strikes without scoring in Europe.
With a beautiful save, Descamps repelled Stach's volley (75th), and Lyon thought they were offering themselves a euphoric finale with Alexandre Lacazette's goal (1-2, 90th+3) but it was without counting on the last action of the match and the victorious shot from Tohumcu (2-2, 90th+5). At the gates of the top 8 – 9th position – OL will travel to Qarabag on November 28 but this Thursday evening, it was the derby against ASSE which was on everyone's minds, obviously stunned after such a final.
