Against Metz, Lucas Paqueta was sometimes nervous.
He was less radiant in the game than in previous weeks.
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Laurent Cipriani / AP / SIPA
Fall champion last week, OL already cracked Sunday by losing to Metz (0-1).
Rudi Garcia's men are now two points behind PSG and Losc.
This unexpected setback raises several questions, including the lack of offensive efficiency and the lesser impact Sunday of his key midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
Rudi Garcia also returned to the bad patch crossed by Anthony Lopes, involved in the Metz goal at the very end of the game and hardly reassuring in his outings.
At Parc OL,
When OL lost their previous Ligue 1 match, Donald Trump was an (almost) serene American president and Juliette Greco could still dream of planning an improbable duo with Eddie Van Halen.
It was September 15 in Montpellier (2-1) and almost nothing allowed the Lyonnais to really think of four months of unbeaten time, with 10 wins and 6 draws.
And then Rudi Garcia found a winning formula (4-3-3) with Lucas Paqueta as the custodian of the game and a thrilling attacking trio (23 goals and 13 assists accumulated over the period for Depay, Toko Ekambi and Kadewere).
When we become autumn champions for the first time in 12 years, we can imagine that seeing this great series stop at home against FC Metz (0-1), on a goal by Aaron Leya Iseka at the last minute of game there are more glorious.
Here are even three reasons that may suggest that OL will not stay in the title race with PSG and Losc to the end, now two points ahead.
Lyon side Léo Dubois evokes the feeling of the locker room on Sunday evening.
This goal hurts us, I wanted us to stay first as long as possible.
We are no longer this evening, we will have to stay within gun range of our opponents to be able to always achieve our goals [the podium].
For the moment we are there but we know that we can do better and we remain ambitious… This defeat makes us realize that nothing is easy or easy.
We absolutely must not doubt our qualities and continue to believe in the podium.
"
It sometimes sprinkles without consistency in front of the goal
3/24, 11/28, 5/23, no these aren't the three-point play-off percentages for former Rockets duo Westbrook-Harden.
This is the number of shots on target by OL on their three biggest poor performances of the season at Décines, respectively against OM (1-1) in October, Brest (2-2) in December then the FC Metz on Sunday (0-1).
“When we frame 20% of our shots, we are not surprised not to score, sighs Rudi Garcia.
Our offensive efficiency must make the difference.
"
But despite the siege of the Metz defense after the break, and despite the entry into play of Islam Slimani and Rayan Cherki, as well as a goal strangely denied to Karl Toko Ekambi (74th), OL were struck down by the Metz efficiency.
“We will have to quickly rectify the situation, urges the Lyon coach.
We are losing two places in the standings, which is huge and we will have to regain the taste for victory from the derby on Sunday.
"
A slack for Lucas Paqueta?
The launch of the crazy Lyon series, from 14th place to this ephemeral status of leader, coincided as if by magic with the installation in the 11 of OL of Lucas Paqueta.
Ruffling with technical ease, the former Brazilian midfielder of AC Milan gave the impression of carrying the game on his shoulders.
When it is more in the hard as in Rennes (2-2) then against Metz (0-1), it is immediately felt in the results and the performance of the team.
“He's a very great player, he does us a lot of good in the middle, appreciates Léo Dubois.
It has played a very important role over the past four months and a drop in diet can happen for any of us.
He was perhaps less leggy there, it is up to us to help him regain some energy.
“Frustrated several times by the refereeing of Stéphanie Frappart, he will have time to breathe, being suspended for the derby on Sunday.
Maurício Barbieri, coach of @RedBullBraga, returns for @ 20Minutes on his season as coach of Lucas Paqueta with @Flamengo in 2018. It is about ball protection, tricks, soccer on the beach, kite and @ Juninhope08 #TeamOL https://t.co/K5MtznBUrn
- Jérémy Laugier (@JeremyLaugier) January 6, 2021
Anthony Lopes more than feverish
Rudi Garcia put on Sunday, at a press conference, a slight cleat "to little Cherki", guilty of losing the ball leading to the Metz goal.
But the individuality currently posing the most question is undoubtedly Anthony Lopes.
Highly publicized, his knee in the back of Angevin Romain Thomas two months ago has visibly left traces.
Guilty of a strange outing in December against Brest (2-2) which cost a penalty and therefore two points, the Portuguese international confirmed his bad pass on Sunday, and this from the 25th minute with an uncontrolled air shock against Vagner Dias (25th).
Barely on the center-shot on the post of the talented Farid Boulaya (82nd), he was never reassuring in this role of ultimate bulwark little sought.
"He is the goalkeeper of a team which dominates its matches and which plays high, decrypts Rudi Garcia.
He must behave like a libero.
He has this quality of going forward and being able to read the trajectories well and to intervene when necessary.
"
#OL 0-0 #Metz
big exit of Lopes out of his box
(26th mn) #OLFCM pic.twitter.com/XzaqGgSf2V
- OL + (@OL__Plus) January 17, 2021
Uh, except on this number of Farid Boulaya, whose opening he thought he read after regulation time, a few seconds before being bypassed without reacting by Aaron Leya Iseka (0-1, 90th).
“On goal, he actually went out of sync but the error did not come only from there.
We must not lose the ball back to the game before [hello again Rayan].
I don't know if Antho is a bit confused by not wanting to make a mistake.
If this is the case, he must find the normality of his game. ”Namely a dose of serenity in addition to his nature“ manly but correct ”.
The derby is timely, let's face it.
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