OGC Nice: After Baku and Buenos Aires, what if Lyon had completed THE ideal week for its recovery?

At OL Park,

OL have rarely experienced such an international week in their history. In four days, its supporters closely observed a match played in Baku (Azerbaijan), 3,700 km from Lyon by plane, before taking a real interest, almost in spite of themselves, in a meeting scheduled in Buenos Aires (Argentina, at 11,000 km). The crazy dimension of the Eagle Football project is there: the Lyonnais barely had time on Sunday evening to recover from a decisive success in Ligue 1 against OGC Nice (4-1) that they discovered on social networks their president in full dance to celebrate Botafogo's first Copa Libertadores.

And if that was it prime of timeshares: Rhone fans getting involved in a final on the other side of the world between two Brazilian clubs? OL defender Clinton Mata had a genuine smile when asked about the other flagship team of the Eagle galaxy on Sunday: “We knew that Botafogo was playing in this final. It was a very important match and we are all happy that they were able to win the Copa Libertadores for the first time. I hope they enjoy it.”

More than 70 million euros in Eagle's coffers?

Don't worry about the decisive passer on Alexandre Lacazette's first goal on Sunday, his boss John Textor sets the tone in South America, and his first major trophy with Eagle Football could quickly be accompanied by a championship title from Brazil. Having become accounting cracks over the years, thanks to Jean-Michel “EBITDA” Aulas then to his American successor, a veritable tightrope walker in front of the DNCG, many Lyon fans were immediately pragmatic on Saturday evening.

How could it be otherwise, given OL's 505 million euros in debt, its demotion to Ligue 2 as a precautionary measure announced by the DNCG on November 15, and this photo of John Textor lifting Saturday a check for $23 million like a trophy. Add to this amount generated by the victory in the “South American Champions League” the estimated €50 million from Botafogo's participation in the first FIFA Club World Cup and you will understand to what extent this Botafogo-Mineiro (3-1) was essential in Lyon, with the aim of finally cleaning up the club's finances.

“The players find themselves with their eyes closed”

Pierre Sage did not forget to congratulate his president by text message, while reminding: “At Botafogo, we still have two current players [Adryelson et Jeffinho] and two former Lyonnais [Rafael et Fernando Marçal] in the team. It's important for us that these players shine. » Victorious against Qarabag (1-4) in the Europa League on Thursday, OL (6th) only had to do the job at home against OGC Nice (5th) in Ligue 1 to complete this season as well as possible. crucial week, and extend his unbeaten run in the league to eight games.

“We are in continuity, we feel that the players are starting to find themselves with their eyes closed”, appreciates Clinton Mata, after another great success (4-1) enabled by two unfavorable refereeing decisions at the Gym but above all by a hat-trick of Alexandre Lacazette (4th, 41st, 70th). A welcome snub to the tackles addressed to this OL where Malick Fofana was until then the club's top scorer in Ligue 1, with only 3 goals in 12 days.

“We have rightly criticized our effectiveness in front of goal a lot,” says Alexandre Lacazette. We're not going to lie: it feels good to score goals and be useful to the team. I hope we are launched with Georges [Mikautadze]. We have gained confidence and our competition will help the group. » Because the turnover increasingly established by Pierre Sage was beneficial as never before, between Georges Mikautadze's double in Baku and the Lyon captain's hat-trick on Sunday, i.e. 5 goals out of 8 between them.

“We had a meeting with our future ambition”

Pierre Sage adds: “We were accused of having problems with our center forwards. But we see that it was not a problem linked to our center forwards but to our game. Today, we are creating even more situations and our attackers are in a position to finish actions well, with confidence. I think that when one is successful, the other will be too, both will pull each other up. »And at the same time they have just reinstalled OL in the Top 8 of the Europa League (7th), three days from the end, and in the Top 5 of Ligue 1 (one point behind Lille, 4th, and four units of the OM-Monaco tandem).

Our file on OL

“We had a meeting with our future ambition this week and we managed these two matches well,” concludes Pierre Sage. There, we are in the logic of a middle-distance race. » With at the head of the project a man whose fingers all of Lyon is crossing so that he himself keeps the distance as best he can.