Jean Canesse, Media365, published on Saturday January 18, 2025 at 11:11 p.m.
After the surprise elimination in the Coupe de France, OL did not raise their heads against Toulouse (0-0). Pierre Sage's men remain in 6th place, while TFC move up one place and come within four points of their evening opponent.
Complicated week for Olympique Lyonnais. Eliminated Wednesday evening from the Coupe de France by Bourgoin-Jallieu (2-2, tab: 4-2), a National 3 club, the Rhone club offered a timid reaction on Saturday evening in Ligue 1. The opportunity was good, however , to get back into the top 4 in the race for the Champions League since Monaco had suffered a surprise defeat the day before at bottom Montpellier (2-1). An opportunity that the Gones were therefore unable to seize against the collectively coherent Toulouse.
Without Lacazette (muscle injury) and without rookie Almada (on the bench for the entire match), OL started with an attacking trio Cherki – Mikautadze – Benrahma in their Stade des Lumières. A trio which failed to create the slightest danger during a very closed first period… at least until these last lively minutes with two chances in quick succession for Toulouse. Niakhaté thus came very close to a gag goal against his camp, with a completely unscrewed clearance (45th), before King's off-target recovery from close range (45th + 3).
-An opportunity in 92 minutes
The second half started with the same appearance and Martinez Novell's players did it again as soon as they returned from the locker room. Aboukhlal (48th) and Gboho (49th) came up against Perri, Donnum just missed the target (60th) while OL were once again miraculously struck by a very dangerous counter from Genreau annihilated by… Gboho (62nd) ). And the Lyonnais in all this? Deliberate and mobile, Pierre's players were less cautious than approximate but they concluded the meeting with a meager opportunity in the bag: this strike from the incoming Fofana, from a tight angle and deflected without problem by Restes (73rd).
Even if they finished better, facing a less enterprising TFC during the last half hour, the Lyonnais were never really able to worry the Toulouse residents this weekend and this goalless draw therefore leaves them two lengths behind from AS Monaco (4th). As before the meeting, Toulouse remains four points behind Gones, currently in eighth place before Sunday's matches.
