Everyone has their own half-time. Having to build a coherent and balanced team despite the numerous absences, Luka Elsner could be satisfied on Saturday evening after an open and committed match against Lyon. Deprived of his usual hinge, the Reims coach was able to count on a solid Cédric Kipré and a precious Thibaut De Smet, placed back in the axis. Faced with enterprising Lyonnais at the start of the match, an armed axial defense was indeed needed to counter the local individuals. Very technically accurate, creative in their offensive sequences, the Rhôdaniens were dangerous several times in the first half. It only took a few centimeters to prevent the opening of the quick score (6th). An inspired Yevhann Diouf then repelled the attempts of Ryan Cherki and especially Alexandre Lacazette, at point blank range.
The other times, the central pair from Reims were attentive. Except in the 39th minute, when Lacazette crossed for Cherki. Alone in the area, the Lyonnais had plenty of time to adjust a helpless Yevhann Diouf with an uncrossed header to open the scoring. Thanks to their combativeness and the opponent's lack of realism, the Rémois were only down by one goal at the break. The adjustments made after returning from the locker room gave Reims a much better look. With Valentin Atangana in full swing and active offensive players with and without the ball, Stade de Reims was more pressing. And ended up being rewarded before the hour mark. On a corner from Junya Ito, Oumar Diakité, like a surface fox, appeared to send a messed up ball, out of Lucas Perri's reach. At 1-1, both teams found solutions. But beyond one or two contentious situations in the area, the goalkeepers remained vigilant to repel all situations. And the final double attempt by Teddy Teuma then Keito Nakamura changed nothing. The parity score satisfied the Champenois. A performance which confirms the dynamic restarted after Le Havre.
THE MATCH SHEET
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MAN OF THE MATCH
RESULTS AND RANKING
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