In another thrilling match in Ligue 1 Uber Eats, Olympique Lyonnais came from behind to beat LOSC Lille on Monday, keeping themselves in the race for a place in Europe next season.
The hosts, who have consistently been one of the division’s strongest teams at home this season, having lost just once, conceding eight goals in the process, had much at stake. After Stade Brestois could only draw with rivals FC Nantes on Saturday, Les Dogues had a golden opportunity to make themselves favorites for a top three finish.
They would have to do so without Benjamin André - their captain being unavailable through injury, but they could call on the talents of Edon Zhegrova, whose impressive second half of the season has seen him shortlisted for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year. The match started with the two sides playing with the bit between their teeth, as both goalkeepers were called into action inside five minutes, but it was the hosts who found the net first, through Bafodé Diakité, as he headed home a fine free kick from Yusuf Yazici.
LOSC 3-4 OL : Remontada alert 🚨🍿 pic.twitter.com/SNHKfOlCX9
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) May 6, 2024
Lyon pressed for an equalizer, but were caught cold by Zhegrova, who drilled in a low shot to make it 2-0. That was how the match would enter halftime, but despite the deficit, Lyon had had their chances in the first 45 minutes, and it wouldn’t be long before they started taking them.
Saïd Benrahma had come close on several occasions, but he made no mistake midway through the second half, powering home a layoff from Alexandre Lacazette to pull a goal back for the visitors. Fifteen minutes later, Lyon were level, as a pair of substitutes combined, with Mama Baldé crossing for Malick Fofana, the hero against Monaco last weekend, to score.
Despite there being less than ten minutes of normal time to play, the match continued to simmer. Moments later, Fofana forced Lucas Chevalier into a diving save, but it was the hosts who would regain the lead, with Diakité scoring again, this time from a corner kick. Undeterred, Lyon would themselves respond through Lacazette, who scored his 17th Ligue 1 Uber Eats goal of the season, getting on the end of a sublime ball from Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Best feeling 😍🦁#LOSCOL | 📸 @DamienLGphoto pic.twitter.com/fqZTrxF5RE
— Olympique Lyonnais 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@OL_English) May 6, 2024
Baldé, having set up a goal, would then decide the game, heading home Clinton Mata’s cross in the second minute of injury time to provide the final margin: 4-3 to the visitors, with four goals in the space of the last ten minutes.
With the result, Lyon -- who have more points in 2024 than any other Ligue 1 Uber Eats team thanks to their improvement under Pierre Sage, move back into seventh place, which may yet be a European place, while Lille, having squandered their opportunity to move ahead of Brest, remain fourth.
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