Lyon and Nantes drew 1-1 on Friday March 17 at Groupama stadium in a Matchday 28 match in Ligue 1, a result that keeps the two clubs in the soft underbelly of the standings. OL, which have only lost once, at Auxerre (2-1) in their last eight league games, are treading water with two draws in a row after the one snatched from Lille (3-3). The Rhone club remains 10th, six points behind Rennes (5th).
For its part, after having obtained a draw against Nice (2-2) after three defeats in a row, the FCN, is also on two points sharing in a row, and ranks 14th with seven points ahead of Auxerre , 17th and first relegated.
The main thing is also elsewhere for the two teams who will meet on April 5 at the Beaujoire stadium in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France, with their sights set on European qualification which would save the season for both teams. That of Lyon in particular, whose turnover is 250 million euros and far from the claims displayed before the start of the championship.
That day, the Lyonnais will have to be more vigilant from the start, unlike what happened on Friday with a goal scored against his side by Castello Lukeba from the 2nd minute, despite Rémy's good exit Riou against Mostafa Mohamed after a ball lost in midfield by Maxence Caqueret, put in difficulty by Corentin Tolisso.
Subsequently, OL controlled the game with 67% possession of the ball and it was logical that Alexandre Lacazette equalized in the 24th minute by taking back in two stages a pass from the head of Bradley Barcola, after a good Collective action. It was the 150th goal for Lacazette (31) with Lyon, where he became the second goalscorer in club history, just ahead of Bernard Lacombe (149 goals, 1969-1978) but still far behind Fleury Di Nallo (222 goals, 1960-December 1974).
The Lyon captain, who returned free last summer after five years at Arsenal, could have given the advantage in added time in the first period but his header was stopped by Alban Lafont after a cross delivered by Tolisso (45 1). Subsequently, OL dominated the start of the second period with another chance for Caqueret on which Lafont intervened well (52) before Lacazette, who returned from injury on March 10 in Lille, came out.
And without his "General", nothing more happened for Laurent Blanc's men despite their dominance. For its part, Nantes also had other opportunities than the goal it scored with a parade from Riou in front of Mohamed (35) then in front of Ervann Guessand (51). Mohamed, again, also shot above despite a favorable position (55) before a rather boring end to the game.
