It was a month ago. In Lyon, we believed in it. A question of DNA and of habit: end-of-season sprints are one of the genes of the house. Before OL’s trip to Reims, the Bad Gones wanted to send a clear message to their players: “10 matches, 10 finals“, could one read on a banner at Lyon-Bron airport. It was a month ago, for the advanced match of the 28th day. OL then had the opportunity to regain first place. What follows is a worrying stagnation.
Out of these 10 finals, Rudi Garcia’s troop did not win any (two draws, one defeat). A disappointing statistical record which is part of a global dynamic not frankly to the advantage of Gones. They were hovering just before the truce and the transition to the new year? 2021 has frankly brought them back to earth: 14 matches, 25 points, 7 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses. A record far from being appalling but nevertheless inferior to its direct competitors (32 for Monaco, 33 for Lille and 30 for PSG, the last two having one more match on the clock). And this is how the curves ended up crossing.
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After the hard-won draw in Lens (1-1), Rudi Garcia preferred to see the glass half full. “We’re definitely the losers this weekend so let’s make sure we’re the winners over the next seven weekends., asked the OL coach. We fell from the podium, we will be a hunter against the three other teams in front and fortunately we will face two (Lille and Monaco). But we’re doing a bad operation tonight“.
All before adding a sentence full of lucidity: “When we are fourth, we will keep the humility of not talking about a title“. If OL thought they were touching the stars, there was no question of burning their wings. The real objective remains the same: to regain the Champions League and its economic mattress which ensures the prosperity of the model dear to Jean-Michel Aulas.
Eleven-type a little too type and slowed down machine
From then on, Garcia did not hide: against Angers, there is only one goal. “We have to win on Sunday, he insisted. We must force success and do more. As at the start of the season, we found our” acute matchnullitis “. We have just come out of draws on the outside and these are bad results when we want to stay on the podium. It’s up to us to regain the victory. “
How? ‘Or’ What ? This is the whole question. Riding on formidable efficiency, on a Memphis Depay in legs and on the revelation Lucas Paqueta in the middle, OL have made it easier for themselves in the middle of their incredible fall. But since then, only the Brazilian, applying for the title of best rookie of the year in L1, has remained at a high level.
Fatally, the machine slowed down. And it was not the management of Rudi Garcia that relaunched it: his eleven-type, including his attacking trio, was exploited to the core even if the shortness of breath seemed obvious. Faithful to his line of communication, he nevertheless played on velvet in a press conference on Saturday. “If we follow or if we listen to what we are told, especially to me, we can already go on vacation. Everything would already be played, he slipped into a mischievous smile. We can go to rest earlier if the players are tired“.
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“We can still do the double”
The truth is, they won’t have time. Even without the European Cup, OL find themselves facing a tough schedule. And it’s almost better considering its location. By the 38th day, the Gones still have three matches that can mark a turning point, provided you maneuver well by then: a quarter of the Cup against Monaco (April 20), the reception of Lille (April 25, 34th day) and the trip to Louis II in the wake (May 2, 35th day).
“The truth is that we can still do the double, insisted the Lyon coach. It’s up to us to pass Monaco in the Cup, it’s up to us to beat Angers and we will always be in the race where we can at least get a place on the podium at first“. The opportunity to dispel a growing doubt: what if OL was finally in its place at the foot of the podium?
La déception d’Houssem Aouar (OL)
Credit: Getty Images
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