Memphis Depay and Lyon lost ground in the Ligue 1 Uber Eats title race and they even needed a late Lucas Paqueta equaliser as they were held to a 1-1 draw at surprise packages Lens in Saturday's late kick-off.
THE MATCH
After seeing Monaco move two points ahead of them in the table thanks to a 4-0 win over Metz earlier in the day, Lyon stepped out in northern France just a place ahead of their hosts, who knew their own ambitions of playing European football next season could be given a major boost by inflicting a second successive defeat on OL.
The seven-time French champions, who were beaten 4-2 by Paris Saint-Germain before the international break, had the first opportunity when Jean-Louis Leca left his goal to pursue Lucas Paqueta. Driven wide, the Brazilian managed to get the ball to Thiago Mendes, but his shot was cleared comfortably as Leca regained his ground (12').
A neat bit of play and acceleration down the right by Gaël Kakuta led to the former Chelsea man teeing up Florian Soctoca on the edge of the box, but the forward miscued his shot, sending his effort over the crossbar when he should have done better (20').
Cheick Doucouré thought he had when — after Kakuta had intercepted Anthony Lopes' poor ball — he thrashed home a long-range drive having been teed up by Seko Fofana. VAR spied a touch off Sotoca's arm as the ball flashed into the net, ruling out the youngster's strike (34').
Lopes pushed a Jonathan Clauss drive upwards and then clutched the loose ball (39') before Massadio Haïdara miskicked when presented with an excellent opportunity inside the area from Sotoca's right-wing cross (44').
Lyon were the only side in Europe's top five leagues with three players on double figures for goals this season — one of them, Memphis Depay, would have added to his 14 for the campaign but for Jonathan Gradit, who blocked the Netherlands international's shot after Depay had dribbled round Leca (45+1').
Lopes denied Fofana (46') before Karl Toko Ekambi sent a header over the bar from a corner delivered to the near post (50') as Lyon looked to extend their 13-game unbeaten run away from home with a ninth win in that impressive streak.
The Cameroon international then found Leca barring his way after he had been played in by Bruno Guimaraes (56'), Tino Kadwere tested the Lens goalkeeper (63') as did Depay (64') before Clauss showed the heralded Lyon front three how to finish.
The right-back charged forward after Maxence Caqueret had lost possession, and raced onto Kakuta's inch-perfect through ball before firing low between Lopes' legs for his third league goal of the season (65').
Yannick Cahuzac inadvertently played in Kadewere, but the Zimbabwe international curled his shot just wide of the far post (74'). Kadewere was replaced by Rayan Cherki shortly afterwards, and it was the teenage starlet's shot that was deflected into the path of Lucas Paqueta, whose first touch and swivel finish were too good for Leca (81').
There was still a major scare for Rudi Garcia's men when Fofana fired across their goal from a tight angle, the ball only narrowly failing to glance in off the far post (85'), and substitute Islam Slimani was dismissed for a late challenge on Doucouré (90') as Lyon only narrowly avoided a damaging defeat to move to within five points of leaders Lille, who defeated PSG earlier in the day.
THE PLAYER: Jonathan Clauss
No defender has had a hand in more league goals in 2021 than the Lens right-back, who in addition to finding the net three times himself has also teed up five goals. The 28-year-old has spent the majority of his career in French football's backwaters before a two-year spell at German side Arminia Bielefeld, but is blooming late in Lens.
THE STAT: 10
Lens are unbeaten in their last 10 league games, winning four of them.
