• After struggling for 45 minutes on Saturday, OL outclassed Lorient in the second half (0-0 to 4-1), and are now (provisionally) two points ahead of AS Monaco.

  • According to Bruno Guimaraes, the Lyonnais “put the pressure” on the ASM, which moves this Sunday (5:05 pm) to Reims.

  • Among the good news of the day, Houssem Aouar is back on the pitch, with his first start in two months, and a superb goal.

Bruno Guimaraes assumes it, he "prefers not to watch the Reims-Monaco match" this Sunday (5:05 pm).

"Too happy" to have scored, on Saturday against Lorient (4-1), the first double of his professional career, the Brazilian midfielder of OL knows how trying it is to see his qualification in the Champions League suspended from (at least) a poor performance of his direct opponent during the last three days.

Building on their crucial victory (2-3), six days earlier in the Principality, the Lyonnais want to be optimistic, after having temporarily regained third place in the championship, with two points (and four goals in the goal-average) ahead of ASM.

Here are four reasons pushing Anthony Lopes 'partners to imagine themselves wearing the Monegasques' hair on the podium.

This group refuses to live a second consecutive season without C1

“We know what our goal is now, and we will do everything to achieve it.

The sequence in a week of shocks of varying fortunes (2-3 defeat against Losc and 2-3 victory in Monaco) pushes Houssem Aouar to clearly see OL's priority stake by May 23.

Euphoric semi-finalist of the 2019-2020 edition, after his exploits against Juventus and Manchester City, OL cannot imagine missing the most prestigious European Cup for the second time in a row.

“We have to take full advantage and hope for a misstep from our opponents,” says Rudi Garcia.

We will not let go until the end, that's for sure.

"

In view of the victory snatched in the last moments in Monaco, despite the numerical inferiority, we want to believe it.

Deprived of six players including four holders (Marcelo, Denayer, Caqueret and Depay), his team once again released a real collective force, Saturday after a sluggish first period (0-0) against Lorient.

With four goals investigated in 25 minutes, this OL looked like a steamroller.

“We put our heads right after the break,” said Bruno Guimaraes.

We did our part of the job and put pressure on Monaco and the other teams.

"

Aouar back, a top midfielder

Two months after playing 45 ghostly minutes in Reims (1-1), Houssem Aouar has finally regret a tenure in the Lyon jersey. In the middle of the final sprint, his encouraging performance, punctuated by a high class goal, which unlocked the match (1-0, 53rd), cannot be anecdotal. We are talking about the strong man of Final 8, who still has two opportunities to soften a little the observation of a missed season, between glitches in the adductors and inconsistency in the game.

More generally, this midfielder who so enchanted Ligue 1 at the end of 2020 showed on Saturday why he was the main strength of this team, deprived of his lungs, Maxence Caqueret (suspended).

Karl Toko Ekambi and Tino Kadewere (released from the break as a precaution on Saturday) extremely clumsy against Lorient?

Aouar, Paqueta and Guimaraes (doubled) were responsible for registering all the goals of the day.

The experience leans towards Lyon, including behind the scenes

At a press conference on Saturday evening, Rudi Garcia did not fail to “congratulate Vincent Ponsot and his teams”.

Because if the Lyon coach was able to avoid tinkering with a repositioning of Thiago Mendes in central defense, it is thanks to an appeal subtly launched Friday by the general manager of the club's football to the CNOSF.

Severely expelled in Monaco, Mattia De Sciglio thus saw the decision of Clément Turpin be suspensive.

The versatile and "precious" (dixit Garcia) Italian player was therefore aligned in central defense on Saturday, which was not too much in the absence of Denayer, Marcelo, Benlamri and Bard.

The calendar is clearly favorable to OL

To complete a grueling season, after Reims this Sunday, by facing Rennes (7th) and Lens (6th), in the blow for the place in the Europa League, it is not the best scenario which is for the ASM.

Niko Kovac's players simply have the most delicate Top 4 schedule in appearance. At the same time, OL will go to Nîmes (19th) and then welcome Nice (10th).

The prospect of having spectators at Parc OL, on the occasion of this final day of the championship, could be an additional asset.

Especially when we see the astonishing fervor put in place by the supporters on Saturday, outside the stadium.

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