Olympique Lyonnais put an end to their nine-match winless run thanks to an impressive second half performance against FC Lorient, orchestrated by half-time subsititute Endrick. The win lifts Paulo Fonseca’s men to fifth in the table and only two points behind third-placed Lille OSC.
The Match
Lyon came into the match low on confidence, while draw specialists Lorient, lining up with five at the back, clearly set their stall out to defend deep and hit the home side on the break. Unsurprisingly, then, the first half was one to forget, as les Gônes dominated possession but lacked the guile to find a breakthrough. A Roman Yaremchuk header over the bar was their only chance of note, while Lorient came closest to scoring with the last move of the half, a superb Dominik Greif save keeping out Bemba Dieng.
Things needed to change and Fonseca made a triple substitution to begin the second half, introducing Orel Mangala, Corentin Tolisso and Endrick – dropped to the bench after his poor attitude against Angers in Lyon’s last match. The Brazilian did not take long to make his mark: within five minutes his pin-point cross allowed Roman Yaremchuk to score his first Ligue 1 goal; seven minutes later he muscled his way to the by-line, his cross-cum-shot deflected off Yvon Mvogo to Tolisso, who headed home.
Lorient opened up more after falling behind but, with Pablo Pagis having an off day, les Merlus rarely looked likely to come back into the match. They remain in ninth place while Lyon leapfrog Stade Rennais and AS Monaco to put themselves firmly back in the Champions League conversation.
Lyon Player Ratings
Dominik Greif – 7 How many points has he won for Lyon this season? Two superb saves, one at 0-0 and one to preserve the two-goal cushion, plus mulitple claims from crosses and long balls
Steeve Kango – 5 With almost all Lyon’s attacking play coming down the left, Kango was not able to show his attacking instincts. Generally solid at the back but turned by Kouassi a couple of times. Substituted at half-time.
Clinton Mata – 5 A generally solid performance, although also embarrassed by Kouassi and was fortunate that the striker was flagged offside.
Moussa Niakhaté – 6 Like Greif, such a reassuring presence in the backline. Captained Lyon in the first half.
Abner Vinicius – 6 Solid in defence and provided a peach of a cross for Lyon’s only first half chance.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 4 Showed his versatility, playing in midfield in the first half and at right back in the second. But was poor with the ball and not always convincing defensively.
Tyler Morton – 6 Tidy in possession and a support to the defence when needed.
Rachid Ghezzal – 5 Like Kango, hard to judge as so little of Lyon’s attacking play came down his flank – and even when it did, he switched the play to the left. Substituted at half time.
Noah Nartey – 5 Began the match brightly but faded as the first half wore on and was substituted at half time.
Alfonso Moreira – 6 A really bright match with most of Lyon’s best attacking moves featuring him.
Roman Yaremchuk – 6 As always, worked tirelessly. Missed a good headed chance in the first half but made no mistake early in the second to set his team on the way to victory.
Orel Mangala – 5 – A solid second half introduction, helping to contain Lorient once Lyon had taken the lead.
Corentin Tolisso – 6 His introduction immediately provided more calm and nous to the Lyon midfield. In the right place to put away Lyon’s second.
Endrick – 7 Clearly felt he had a point to prove after being benched by Fonseca and within 15 minutes effectively had two assists. Some dangerous dribbles and his booking – for sprinting back to try to win the ball back – will probably have pleased Fonseca too.
Lorient Player Ratings
Yvon Mvogo 5 – Had little to do overall and didn’t play badly, but had no chance for the first goal and was unfortunate that his block fell to Tolisso for the second.
Bamo Mëité 5
Abdoulaye Faye 5 – a shame for him as he had a really impressive first half but was beaten in the air for Lyon’s first and on the ground for their second
Nathaniel Adjei 5
Théo Le Bris – Struggled and was beaten several times by Moreira, one such time forcing him to commit a foul which caused his injury.
Panos Katseris 6 – Brought on to replace Le Bris, he could easily have ended the match with two assists but his crosses were not put away.
Arthur Avom Ebong 6 – Worked hard in midfield, pushing forward when he could and forcing Greif into a great save at 2-0.
Noah Cadiou 5 – He created the chance late in the first half from which Lorient should have led. Not as much influence as he can have.
Arsène Kouassi 5 – A similar assessment to Cadiou’s. Some impressive runs down the left but not enough to make a difference.
Jean-Victor Makengo 5 – Same again – really bright opening, perhaps should have done better from a Katseris cross but his influence quickly faded.
Pablo Pagis 4 – Perhaps 4 is a little harsh but he has so often been Lorient’s game-changer and, when they needed him to be at his best tonight, he was found wanting.
Bamba Dieng 4 – Some decent enough hold-up play and forced Greif into a couple of straightforward stops and one worldie save. But he should be judged on goals and he should never have given Greif a chance to make that save.
