Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 3, 30/08/2024
Olympique Lyonnais were looking to avoid their third successive defeat to start the season as they hosted RC Strasbourg Alsace at the Groupama Stadium.
It was hard for Lyon to ignore the sense of déjà vu that has accompanied limp defeats to Stade Rennais (3-0) and AS Monaco (2-0). As with each successive loss, the memory of the first half of the 2023/24 season lurked in the background like the silhouette of Norman Bates’s mother.
Pierre Sage was desperate not to allow Lyon to slip any further and had talked openly in the build-up to this game of the need to “create links, and reactivate relationships between players.” At the very least a victory at home would alleviate some of the pressure that has begun to build.
It was a nightmare start as Lyon were 1-0 down within two minutes. Dilane Bakwa’s marauded down the right and looked for a cross into Emanuel Emegha. The ball was hit with too much pace for the striker but he had the wherewithal to touch it onto Sebastian Nanasi.
Nanasi’s control was exceptional and he left Clinton Mata flat-footed and Duje Ćaleta-Car sprinting in the wrong direction. All that was left for the the Swedish winger to do was place his shot which he duly obliged.
To Lyon’s credit, the team didn’t let their heads drop and an attacking lineup saw results with some beautiful passages of passing play forged by Maxence Caqueret and Corentin Tolisso. Georges Mikautadze was energetic and continuously tested the palms of Strasbourg’s goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson.
It would take injury time for Lyon to find a way to beat a goalkeeper who had been in inspired form. Alexandre Lacazette’s shot smashed against the post and bounced towards Tolisso who slotted his shot past Johnsson to score Lyon’s first goal of the new campaign.
Strasbourg struck again immediately into the second half. Bakwa was once again pivotal as he lofted a ball deep into the box which the Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos headed home. Momentum swung wildly in Strasbourg’s favour as they pinned their hosts back. The substitute Caleb Wiley coming close to chipping a stumbling Lucas Perri to heap misery on what now looked like a fragile Lyon.
Strasbourg would make it three in the 58th minute. Maitland-Niles gave the ball away cheaply to Wiley who slipped a pass past Caleta-Car and into the path of Emegha. The striker had missed two chances in the first half but there was no doubting him now. However, the game was far from over. Sage made a swift double change taking off Mikautadze and Abner Vinícius for Gift Orban and Malick Fofana.
In the 61st minute, Lyon would make it 3-2. Lacazette once again struck the post before Maitland-Niles would have his redemption and smash the rebound into the back of the net. Two minutes after that, the score was level. Lacazette’s cross would be turned in by the substitute Orban.
In the 72nd minute, the Lyon substitutes combined to devastating effect. Fofana’s chipped cross towards Orban saw the striker collect his brace to make it four for the hosts in what was shaping up to be a remarkable comeback from 3-1 down
Lyon would continue to hold their lead. In what was a strange and uneven performance, the defence looked really worrying with Strasbourg’s attack finding it easy to turn the trio of Caleta-Car, Clinton Mata, and Moussa Niakhaté. However, when Lyon controlled the ball they looked dangerous and full of possibility.
The issues are far from over for Sage and his squad but at least the goals have returned and three points are on the board.
Lyon player ratings
Lucas Perri, 5
Clinton Mata, 4
Duje Ćaleta-Car, 4 – The ex-Southampton man struggled this evening with Emanuel Emegha. The Dutch striker consistently turned Caleta-Car who didn’t have the pace to match his opposite number when he began running towards goal. Positioning became vital and it was something that seemed missing tonight.
Moussa Niakhaté, 4
Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 5
Maxence Caqueret, 6
Nemanja Matić, 6
Corentin Tolisso, 7
Abner Vinícius, 5
Georges Mikautadze, 4 – A difficult evening for the €18.5 million signing. He had a lot of energy and was active in the first half but the turning point for the hosts came when he was replaced by Gift Orban. His replacement scored twice while Mikautadze is left searching for his first goal.
Alexandre Lacazette, 8 – The striker was unable to find his way on the scoresheet but he was essential for Lyon finding their way back into the game. Twice he came close to scoring but struck the post and each time it created just enough chaos in the Strasbourg defence for Lyon to capitalise. His chemistry with Mikautadze needs some work but he seems to gel nicely with Gift Orban.
