With Perry and Mangala starting, Lyon dreams of salvaging their season through the Coupe de France… Follow this round of 16 with us…

Unlike Pierre Sage, Paulo Fonseca is lining up his typical team: good guys everywhere, and the attacking trio of Onas-Zegrova-David which is tough.

We attack with the Lyon lineup: Pierre Sage has made a few changes for this match: we will prioritize a 4-3-3, and no longer the 3-4-3 already. And immense curiosity comes from Lucas Perry’s starting position, a first best for Brazil’s towering goalkeeper (1.97m). It’s strange to see goalkeepers warming up in the stadium itself, with Lopes on the sidelines as No.2. Other big news: We will see Belgian international midfielder Aurel for the first time with Mangala (ex-Nottingham Forest) and two Olympique heroes Numah and Lacazette will be on the bench at kick-off. Make way for the Cherky-Fofana-Orban trio up front.

A year ago, almost to the day (February 8, 2023), OL eliminated Losc in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France after an ultra-tight (and very nice) match ended on penalties (2-2, 4-2). ). We take that and we start again this Wednesday with a nice little poster at this stage of the competition. Given its dwindling winter transfer window (seven recruits including Matic, Benrahma, Mangala, plus Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perry who we get to see in action for the first time this afternoon…), Lyon are becoming serious contenders to win this Coupe de France. 2024, especially since the end of the championship is a more tasteless risk, once this team (15th) has confirmed its recovery to move away from the red zone.

Yes, finally announcing this big ambition (especially when we haven’t had a single trophy since 2012) like John Textor did recently, is one thing. But we already have to overcome a formidable green team, which has been on a crazy streak of just one defeat in its last 21 official matches for four months. Paulo Fonseca’s gang (fourth in Ligue 1) are fully in the Champions League race and won without a tremor at Parc OL at the end of November (0-2). We still have a feeling that things will be very tight in a stadium this Wednesday that could feel quite hollow, especially given the tough midweek 6:30pm schedule.

>> Find us here from 6:15 pm, before kick-off at 6:30 pm.