A resilient defensive display from FC Lorient meant Lyon started their Ligue 1 campaign with a goalless draw at the Stade de Gerland.
Lyon need creativity, and they need it now
It is all well and good having one of the Ligue 1’s most creative players in Nabil Fekir, but when even he cannot find the killer pass it seems Lyon lack further options. Sylvain Ripoll’s side were tough to break down and it was clear to see that the hosts need creativity in midfield. When times got tough for Les Gones they resorted to long balls, hoping the pace of Alexandre Lacazette would help find the mark. Frankly, the striker’s movement was static and his general performance was lazy. There was too much pressure on Fekir and no one else took the responsibility on-board. Hubert Fournier is aware of this and looks set to sign Mathieu Valbuena, who will ease the pressure from the playmaker’s shoulders.
Rafael will be an attacking outlet this season
The new signing was impressive on his Lyon debut. He was constantly running up and down the right-wing, injecting much needed energy and pace into the attack. Yes, he struggled with his end product, but that will develop in the next few games as he adapts to a new league and a new team. The Brazillian was regularly in the vistors’ half creating space and width, whenever he recieved the ball he looked to beat his man and deliver a cross. Lorient caught onto this and made sure he was given minimal room when in possession, but overall it was an impressive debut for the new signing.
https://youtu.be/af35twYHN3Q
Fekir once again was the danger man.
Despite not being able to break down the Les Merlus defence, the 22-year-old Frenchman was very impressive. Fekir found space in the final third that no one else saw and with a clever turn ran at the defence, forcing his markers to commit fouls and take bookings to reduce his impact on the game. His ability to turn out of tight spaces is world class, surrounded by three opponents with no way out, somehow he will still manage to escape with possession. When the ball is at his feet it stays there, and it usually takes a rash tackle to stop him.
Benjamin Lecomte is very underrated
Last season the Ligue 1 goalkeeper of the year award went to Steve Mandanda, but it seems there may have been somebody who was overlooked. Benjamin Lecomte has gone under the radar, but is one of the best the league has to offer. Since August 2014, no custodian has made more saves than Lecomte and tonight it was clear to see why. He was once again impressive, first with a triple save to deny both Fekir and Lacazette, that ended with the Lorient gloveman acrobatically tipping a header onto the bar. Then he produced a top corner save from Bedimo’s long-range effort that looked destined for the back of the net. These are just two highlighted moments from an inspiring performance. Without him Lorient would have struggled to come away with the point.
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Lyon are still in pre-season mode.
If you did not know already, Lyon had a very poor run up to the opening weekend and their form looks to have been taken into the Ligue 1 season. There was a clear lack of energy throughout the side, the passes were sideways or backwards, with only Fekir and Rafael showing any intention to run with the ball and create chances. Fournier has to change this before Lyon’s next game on the road to Guingamp next Saturday. If they wat to come away with their first win of 2015-16, they need to up their tempo.
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