In Invincible OL, Niakhaté is the Defensive goat
Lyon‘s defensive prowess was on full display Thursday evening, securing a 1-0 victory over Utrecht in their Europa League opener. The win underscores a remarkable defensive turnaround for L’OL, who have conceded just five goals in their last five matches – against Lens, Metz, Marseille, Angers, and now Utrecht – and even held strong in a challenging, numerically disadvantaged game against Rennes.
Central to this newfound solidity is Moussa Niakhaté. After missing time last season, the senegalese defender is quickly establishing himself as a key leader in Paulo Fonseca’s backline.Facing a challenging matchup against Sébastien Haller, Niakhaté consistently intervened with precise timing and controlled tackles, avoiding unnecessary risks. His accurate ball recovery further impressed both Fonseca and the Lyon faithful.
Following the Utrecht victory, social media lit up with praise for Niakhaté. Fans expressed their delight, with comments including: “Niakhate is simply a goat,” “Moussa Niakhaté best current defender of ligue 1 I want to know,” “the level of Moussa Niakhate since the start of the season. I think we don’t realize. Maybe unheard of as Sam Umtiti,” “Niakhate he made a good start to the season,” and “Niakhate wins all his duels is a madness.”
Fonseca has prioritized defensive organization, and while largely working with the same defensive personnel as last year, he’s instilled a greater level of concentration and discipline within the unit. Niakhaté’s emergence as a dominant force is a key component of this improvement, solidifying Lyon’s defense and providing a foundation for success.
