Nigerian forward Akor Adams took his tally to three Ligue 1 Uber Eats goals in two matches as Montpellier trounced Lyon 4-1 on Saturday to earn their first top-flight win of the 2023/24 campaign while the hosts' captain Alexandre Lacazette was sent off on a miserable evening for Laurent Blanc's men.
THE MATCH
Neither team won their opening game - Lyon losing at Strasbourg and Montpellier drawing with Le Havre - and OL were still without injured first-choice goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, but the hosts did have new signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the bench for the first time since his summer move from Arsenal.
Another former Arsenal man, Lyon captain Lacazette, had gone off late on in Alsace last weekend, but was in shape to take his place in the starting XI - the ex-France international striker had an eventful game, though not exactly how he would have wanted. OL had won their last four league games against MHSC, but the visitors turned the tables. And how!
Arnaud Nordin - in the Montpellier starting XI for Wahbi Khazri - fired in the first shot on target (16'), testing Rémy Riou, before opening the scoring shortly after. Lyon's second-choice goalkeeper played a central role, miscuing his intended pass for Johann Lepenant - Nordin nipped in, and fired home (20').
Adams then had a goal ruled out for offside (29') after firing home a Téji Savanier free-kick before another summer signing, Al Tamari, took centre stage. The Jordan international snapped onto the loose ball after Adams had challenged Sinaly Diomandé, nutmegged Duje Caleta-Car, and then fired past Riou for a superb first goal in French football (39').
After exchanging passes with Adams, Al Tamari, signed from Belgian side Leuven, forced another stop from Riou early in the second half (56') before Lyon finally responded with Lacazette bringing Montpellier 'keeper Benjamin Lecomte into serious action for the first time (65').
The visitors' response was swift as - within 60 seconds - Al Tamari had extended their lead, racing past Jeffinho before shooting low beyond Riou. Maitland-Niles came off the bench to make his Lyon debut (69'), and Lacazette almost immediately pulled one back, firing across Lecomte into the far corner (70').
But Montpellier had the game under control and Adams fired wide (78') before Lacazette's frustrations boiled over and he was sent off following an altercation with Savanier (80'). Adams rounded off the rout to add to his double from Week 1 (89') to leave Lyon with two defeats to start a season for the first time in 57 years.
THE PLAYER: Mousa Al Tamari
The new Montpellier forward showed he has everything to do well in France having crossed the border from Belgium: pace, link-up play, and finishing.
THE STAT: 1
Lyon had never previously lost their first home game of a league season in the 21st century, winning 16 of their 22 matches before facing Montpellier.
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