Lyon are five points off LOSC's league-setting pace following their 3-2 loss in last Sunday's title six-pointer, but with 12 left to play for - and perhaps the most exciting young midfielder in Europe on their books - les Gones won't be giving up hope quite yet.

From the same vaunted production line that has given the game Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa, Alexandre Lacazette and Nabil Fekir, Caqueret looks as promising as any who have gone before him at OL. Ligue1.com takes a closer look…

Back story:

Born in Vénissieux in the southern outskirts of Lyon in February 2000, a year before regional giants Olympique Lyonnais got their record-setting run of seven Ligue 1 Uber Eats titles underway, Caqueret joined les Gones' fabled youth academy at the age of 11.

Caqueret's elder brother was a defender who never made the grade at Lyon, but Maxence was always a midfielder - one who idolised Barcelona and Spain legend Andres Iniesta and played futsal alongside his football - and his ceiling always looked to be higher.

He captained Lyon at every age group before making his senior debut in a Coupe de France victory over Bourges Foot in January 2019 at the age of 18 years, 10 months and 22 days, and is now the youngest sure starter in Rudi Garcia's first XI.

Style of play:

A diminutive midfielder who stands at 1m74 and weighs just 63kg, Caqueret may not be the most physically intimidating player, but what he lacks in power he more than makes up for in anticipation and decision-making.

Since his Ligue 1 Uber Eats debut in November 2019 - in which he assisted Maxwel Cornet in a 2-1 win over RC Strasbourg Alsace - Caqueret has recovered possession an average of 10 times per match, more than any other player over the period league-wide.

Iniesta may have been his inspiration growing up, but now that he operates primarily as a No.6, Caqueret's play is rather more reminiscent of Paris Saint-Germain and Italy midfielder Marco Verratti - a paragon in the position.

Current campaign:

Caqueret started the season as one of the first names on Garcia's teamsheet, but after the team dropped 11 points in five games early in the campaign, he was one of the victims of a shift in personnel, with former youth academy teammate Aouar and Brazilian pair Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes getting a clear run at the three midfield positions.

Never one to complain, Caqueret simply got his head down in training and was back in the team for the Round 10 2-1 victory over Derby du Rhône rivals AS Saint-Étienne, and he hasn't looked back. Performances against Manchester City and Juventus in Europe really caught the eye, the latter despite defeat, but it is domestically where he is now in the top percentile for pressure regains, and he would surely have been Man of the Match against LOSC last time out had Burak Yilmaz not nicked victory for Lille five minutes from time.

Watch: Caqueret shone, even if Lyon lost, against Lille recently

What they said:

"I'm totally focussed on OL. It's only the start of my career! I really hope to do great things here. My goal is to win trophies with OL. The last one, in 2012, I was 12 years old, in my first year here. But this club has the potential to win titles. So I'm repeating myself, but I want to win trophies with OL to make history and show that our club is a great one in Europe."

- Caqueret on his ambitions with Lyon.

"That's why he's been captain since the under-16s. A coach can count on him. He brings a lot to a group because he's intelligent, he understands things quickly and he has this ability to transmit his maturity. Maxence is a complete player capable of working hard for the whole match. He can make the final or the penultimate pass and is also capable of scoring goals."

- Lionel Rouxel, Caqueret's France coach from under-16 to under-19 level.