L1: headwind, Lyon advance in slow motion at Lens – 02/19/2022 at 19:37
Lyon striker Lucas Paquetà (d) failed in front of Lens goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez, February 19, 2022 at the Bollaert stadium (AFP / FRANCOIS LO PRESTI)
Lyon was held back at Lens (1-1) in difficult weather conditions on Saturday in Ligue 1, between strong winds and pouring rain, a result that does not suit OL, hampered in their rise to the top of the table .
Quickly trailing after a goal from Jonathan Clauss at the start of the match (13th), the Lyonnais were forced to brave these headwinds. They equalized just before half-time by Tino Kadewere (44th), but they failed to win in a Bollaert-Delelis stadium swept by the gusts of storm Eunice.
Les Gones temporarily take fifth place with 38 points, but this position is fragile against the threat of Rennes and Monaco (37 pts) who play on Sunday, and Lens (37 pts as well).
It’s a small setback for OL, who had won four of their last five league games, in particular against Lensois who are also struggling to clinch a European place.
The Lyonnais, who were still deprived of their defender Jérôme Boateng absent from the match sheet (sick according to his coach Peter Bosz), a week after his sidelining in Nice, will have a new direct confrontation to negotiate the weekend next, on their lawn against Lille (9th, 36 pts).
Lens striker Arnaud Kalimuendo between Lyonnais Romain Faivre (g) and Léo Dubois, February 19, 2022 at the Bollaert stadium (AFP / FRANCOIS LO PRESTI)
Saturday afternoon, the Bosz players showed a much less attractive face than during their nice success last week against the Niçois (2-0). If they had possession (62%), they lacked ideas and creativity in the use of the ball.
The Sang et Or opened the score on their first opportunity: Gaël Kakuta launched Arnaud Kalimuendo in depth, who stumbled on Lopes, but Clauss followed well to score in the empty goal while the Lyon goalkeeper was hit by his teammate Thiago Mendes (1-0, 13th).
Driven by a sold-out Bollaert-Delelis Stadium, the Lensois continued on their integrated, benefiting from several corners, before a goal from Seko Fofana was refused for an involuntary hand from the Lensois midfielder at the start of the action (37th ).
– Decisive Lopes –
OL responded with Lucas Paqueta, who sent a volley wide (40′).
Lyon defender Emerson Palmieri (d) confronts Lens striker Florian Sotoca on February 19, 2022 at the Bollaert stadium (AFP / FRANCOIS LO PRESTI)
Shortly after, Peter Bosz’s players managed to equalize quite logically: after a clearance from Danso on an opening by Paqueta, Karl Toko Ekambi recovered the ball and centered at the far post, where Kadewere appeared to score his first goal of the season (1-1, 44th).
Returning from the locker room, RCL goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez was inspired from the start by winning a duel with Toko Ekambi in the area (46th).
Lyon then controlled the game, but struggled to be dangerous, just like Lens, who lacked presence in the last thirty opposing meters.
At the end of the match, Lens pushed to snatch the victory and almost succeeded, like a strike from Fofana that Lopes deflected on his crossbar (80th) or a new intervention Decision of the Lyon goalkeeper on a shot from David Pereira Da Costa (90th).