At Groupama Stadium on Sunday, the Lensois slapped Olympique Lyonnais (0-3) and ended the locals’ series of four consecutive victories in Ligue 1.
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The end of a great series. Olympique Lyonnais lost heavily 3-0 against RC Lens at home, at Groupama Stadium, this Sunday March 3, and sees its series of six consecutive matches without defeat (5 victories, a draw in the Coupe de France with a qualification on penalties) all competitions stop. In search of a reassuring performance after the two defeats against Friborg and AS Monaco, the Northerners were sharper and finally rewarded.
Florian Sotoca first took charge of heading a perfectly curled shot from David Pereira da Costa who slipped into the opposite net (0-1, 43rd), before returning from the locker room, Elye Wahi came to double the lead from the penalty spot after a hand from Maxence Caqueret in the area (0 -2, 53rd). The Lensois serial scorer thus scored his 8th goal against Lyon in Ligue 1, at least 4 more than against any other opponent in the elite. Kevin Danso came to conclude the party with an infuriating header from a corner from Adrien Thomasson (0-3, 87th).
A duel of goalkeepers
The Lens evening had, however, started with a cold snap when Orel Mangala saw his heavy shot crash into the right post of Brice Samba, completely beaten (14th). Surprised, the blood-and-gold goalkeeper, used to spectacular saves, was more inspired by a poorly negotiated counterattack by Ernest Nuamah, with an opposite hand save (24th). In a duel from a distance, Anthony Lopes made Franck Haise hallucinate by throwing himself to the ground to stop a recovery from Elye Wahi at the far post (38th) and by disgusting Florian Sotoca on a delivery from Ruben Aguilar (38th).
The show continued despite a score in favor of the visitors. The Lyon goalkeeper won in front of Ruben Aguilar to avoid the third Lensois goal, at the end of a collective action highlighting all the defensive shortcomings of the Rhodanians (66th). At the very end of the match, Brice Samba came to dampen OL’s last hopes thanks to a duel won against Malick Fofana (77th), then a fantastic double save from a corner in front of Jack O’Brien, then Ainsley Maitland-Niles (78th).
Evening of relapse for OL
Despite everything, a nightmarish evening for the Lyonnais, who ended up seeing Maitland-Niles receive a red card for a very dangerous tackle on Wesley Saïd, who came on after the injury to Elye Wahi (85th). A final game which allowed RC Lens to definitively seal their big victory and remain sixth in Ligue 1, three points ahead of Olympique de Marseille, seventh. A great way for the Sang et Or to get back on track, having not won a single match since February 10.
Without their captain Alexandre Lacazette, who was out, OL fell back and conceded three goals in the same Ligue 1 match for the fifth time this season at home. Pierre Sage’s men even have a new sad record: with 12 defeats in 24 days of the French championship, Lyon is having its worst season since the 1982-83 financial year (12).