Beaten again, the Lyonnais see the spectre of another difficult start to the season looming

Olympique Lyonnais are provisionally last in the championship after their second defeat against Monaco on Saturday.

Is it already time to sound the alarm? Before this Saturday, August 24, Lyon had won six games in a row on home soil against AS Monaco in Ligue 1. A series that logically ended on the occasion of this 2nd day of the championship. Beaten at the Groupama Stadium by the Monegasques who dominated from start to finish (0-2), the Lyonnais conceded their second defeat after their worrying start in Rennes (0-3).

As in Brittany where Maxence Caqueret, Nemanja Matic and Orel Mangala, constantly overtaken, had taken on water in the midfield, OL was still in difficulty in the middle of the field. Not so surprising then that Pierre Sage had taken off a man in this zone to try to associate the Englishman Ainsley Maitland-Niles with Caqueret. The result was ultimately clear, the two players never really managing to contain the attacks of the club from the Principality.

The defense, which conceded five goals in 180 minutes, did not reassure either. Without Lucas Perri, who delayed the deadline for a long time before bowing to Eliesse Ben Seghir (65th) and Lamine Camara (80th), the score would have been even higher for Décines-Charpieu. So much so that there is only the ability of the Brazilian goalkeeper (author of four inspired saves) to make us forget the former leader Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal to put in the August satisfaction department.

Despite the return of Alexandre Lacazette after his Olympic summer, Lyon has, for the rest, shown nothing in two matches on the offensive side, as evidenced by the absence of corners obtained against ASM. So much so that one can legitimately wonder if the Gones, temporarily bottom of the championship, are not heading for a hellish start to the season.

The fact remains that the club’s transfer window, which was one of the most expensive in Europe this summer (135 million), raises more questions than it answers between the Rhône and the Saône. Weighed down by its postponed spending over the past year, OL has thus exercised purchase options more than expensive for players who did not particularly prove themselves during their loans at the start of 2024 (Orel Mangala, Saïd Benrahma), while officially paying for the transfer of Ernest Nuamah, injured against Monaco.

In terms of new faces, Moussa Niakhité was guilty of a back pass that cost him a goal on his debut in Rennes, while Georges Mikautadze missed the penalty of hope and full-back Abner Vinicius did not convince. In other words, a recruitment that, for the moment, is turning sour while waiting for one, or even two reinforcements in midfield. In the other direction, the club is unable to reduce its squad despite the sidelining of several players within a loft, including Rayan Cherki and Dejan Lovren.

“There are choices that are made by management, but we remain focused on our work. We are human beings first and foremost, and it’s true that it’s not nice to see players sidelined. But we can’t do anything about it, it’s not our decision.”

Clinton Mata, OL defender on the loft

at a press conference, Friday August 23

Forced to replenish its coffers to avoid finding itself, as it did a year ago, subject to a sanction from the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG), the police force of French football, OL even sold its greatest hope, defender Mamadou Sarr, to Strasbourg this week. Enough to add even more uncertainty around the strategy of the club owned by John Textor, which is aiming for qualification for the Champions League.

The president also indicated this week that he was “interested in selling [ses] Crystal Palace shares, primarily to continue a relationship with Everton”. The English team could thus join the Eagle galaxy (Lyon, Botafogo, Molenbeek), likely to lead to a downgrade of Lyon in the hierarchy of the multi-ownership managed by the American businessman. While waiting to be fixed on its future status, it is an OL already under pressure that will be obliged to win against Strasbourg on Friday, while the calendar then reserves two perilous duels against Lens and Marseille in September.