If they did not lose in Germany, OL are far from having offered a seduced face, especially for an hour. Between the starting coaching of Pierre Sage, the lack of enthusiasm of some and this equalization conceded at the end of the match, the Lyon team does not remember its past mistakes.
We quickly thought about turning to the derby after the match against Hoffenheimand yet, Lyon's production in Germany will push us to linger a little longer on this European meeting. Against the 16th in the Bundesliga having won only two matches in nine days, see theOL struggling so much is not really on the agenda in the pre-match scenario (2-2). After the defeat against Besiktas and the two draws against Auxerre and Lille, we were rather entitled to expect a reaction of pride to almost guarantee a place in the 24 of the Europa League. This was the meaning of history before the coming ofAS Saint-Étienne. Almost the opposite happened at ProZero Arena on Thursday night. With faults at all levels.
More changes in spades from Sage
After the match, the Lyon coach used a rather strong word for the second time in two matches. After “unworthy” in Lille, it was “inadmissible” on the other side of the Rhine. See the’OL leaving with a point having found a way to lead the score in the 93rd minute is enough to shake things up. However, unlike the point reported in the north of France, Pierre Sage will, this time, be in the spotlight. This had been looming over him for some time now and the trip to Hoffenheim was the last straw. With ten changes again in the starting lineup, theOL stood out for his inability to find additional automatisms in a different pattern.
It's hard to blame the players on this point, with some even confiding that it would be complicated to create chemistry, but that it will come through communication. There was neither on Thursday evening and the coach is inevitably in the sights. He tried to explain it by putting forward a desire “physically fresh” before the derby, but it's starting to matter a lot. By wanting to concern everyone, the idea of Sage part from good attention. He knows he will need his entire group over a season. But we saw it Toulousealso against Auxerre and now to Hoffenheim : this is of no use to anyone. Not the replacement players who show that they do not have the level to shake up the hierarchy and even less Pierre Sage with such poor performance.
Substitutes who do not have the build of the holder
By stubbornly wanting to give everyone playing time, Pierre Sage wants to maintain a group dynamic and that is to his credit. However, there are matches to play and win to achieve the season's objectives. And it is not by stroking everyone in the right direction that these steps will be validated. There is certainly the excuse of the lack of automatisms, the lack of rhythm, but how can we explain certain failed individual performances? Yes, going yo-yo from being in the group to outside the group to starting does not necessarily help to attack the match in the best conditions.
Only, string together missed passes like Gift Orban does not fall within these parameters. See Said Benrahma try to play the saviors of this bench, even if it means making many bad choices either. L’OL has a bloated squad, but like it or not, there is a known starting lineup and rotation players. It may be hard to say, but today, some do not have the level to be starters and you only have to see the difference in level at the time of the quadruple change to understand it. The hour-long performance showed that involving everyone had its positive points, but only in small touches and off the bench.
A mental deficit
This is the whole paradox of this draw against Hoffenheim (2-2). On the one hand, the OL players can be congratulated by their proud reaction. In tough conditions for an hour and trailing after returning from the locker room (47th), the Lyonnais managed to reverse the trend once again. A goal d’Abner (66th) then a marvelous pivot strike from Lacazette (90th+3) once again allowed us to imagine a scenario that OL has been accustomed to for months. However, it was rather that of mental collapse that was brought out. This was the case during the first two matches of the season with, certainly, opposing domination.
This was the case against theABOUT in mid-September with a story that resembles in almost every way that ofHoffenheim. A push into added time to secure a better result than the one on the scoreboard, efforts rewarded with a goal and finally, a succession of individual errors which reduced this positive state of mind to nothing. Against Marseille, this ended in a defeat, at Hoffenheim, theOL still leaves with a point. Yet it smells like a backhand. After the failed start at Lillemorale faltered at the end of the match in Germany. It remains a mental problem despite everything.
