OL’s winning coaching, it’s unrecognizable… top and flop

Tops

Diouf thrust himself into the air

The Reims goalkeeper put in a solid performance on the rare occasions he was called upon in this meeting. Yehwan Diouf finished the match with just 2 saves thanks to Lyon’s 3 shots on target, but his impact could have been more significant. If his defense did a great job of repelling Les Gons’ attacks in the first half, it was clearly him who kept his team afloat at the end of the match. It is particularly during his aerial travels that the French goalkeeper has been impressive. He always managed to anticipate, despite Leon’s traps to hinder him. He managed to catch many valuable balls, especially at the end of the match, to reassure his entire team.

Bold but winning coaching

Prolonged by Reims’ defence, Lyon’s attacking energy was finally unleashed in the second half. If Ryan Cherky’s half-time exit seemed more odd than anything else, Pierre Sage made the right choice by bringing on Ernest Numah. The Ghanaian has brought more depth to his game where he needs less leather on his feet like the French hopeful. His race made it possible to extend the Reims bloc, which had difficulty closing the gap behind, and which often fell behind once. Said Benrahma, who came on for Alexandre Lacazette, also contributed well. In a different register, the 28-year-old Algerian delivered and struck well while also bringing pace. It is he who sends a perfect cross towards Numah who is just about to score the equaliser.

FLOPS

Lacazette, falling normal

The French striker did not have his best evening against Ramois. At the very beginning of this meeting, Alexandre Lacazette lost a duel in the penalty area where he thought too much. Faced with formidable defenders who didn’t hesitate to come into duels and push him, the Gones captain seemed to be quickly losing confidence in the piece. Then, his strikes lacked conviction. Often found in small spaces, he could not eliminate his opponents enough to put himself in a comfortable position. He never really made an impact in this meeting. Two of his strikes in the match were blocked or deflected by the opposing defense and he won very few duels (3/8 wins). He also lost a significant number of balls (15).

Ito took his line

The Japanese also had great difficulty in influencing this part. Set in his usual right lane, Junya Ito spent much of this meeting stuck to his line. Instead of coming in to claim the ball at his feet, the 31-year-old winger remained consistent and just waited for the ball deep. Unless Ramois has a low block and the ball is oriented mainly towards the axis of the field, he often finds himself with nothing to eat. When he was finally found, his dribbling (0/3) or his crosses (3/9) lacked accuracy. He also lost a significant number of balls (20), mainly due to the fact that he almost didn’t win his physical or running duels (1/8).