Olympique Lyonnais is expecting a very tricky round of 16 first leg of the Europa League this Wednesday (6:45 p.m.) in Porto.
Absent from major European meetings since the Final 8 of the 2020 Champions League, Lyon could rely on Houssem Aouar, who had been bright in Lisbon.
If he is blamed for his inconstancy, especially since his stunts against Juve and Manchester City in 2020, the Lyon midfielder has always known how to "sublimate himself in adversity".
A 200th match with the captain's armband, and two delicious openings behind Lyon's last two goals.
OL's perfect evening, Friday in Lorient (1-4), will perhaps mark a turning point in the year 2022 of Houssem Aouar, until then replacing for a month and the establishment of a 4 -2-3-1 by Peter Bosch.
Tanguy Ndombele's package (injured) therefore allowed the 23-year-old midfielder to find the light in ideal timing, before the shock against FC Porto, this Wednesday (6:45 p.m.) in the round of 16 first leg of the Europa League.
The man with 37 goals and 34 assists in the OL jersey since 2017 often chooses his moments well to shine, which can be seen as both a strength and a weakness.
"It's a bit of a trademark of great players to be present in big matches," says Armand Garrido, emblematic former trainer of Olympique Lyonnais, who trained Houssem Aouar in national U17s.
“He has the character of a top athlete”
“He's an intelligent boy who knows how to prepare well for major events, approves Gérard Bonneau, former director of the youth recruitment unit in Lyon.
Apart from his exceptional technical qualities, he has the character of a top-level athlete.
So it is certain that he will do everything to show himself against Porto.
” Habitual pet peeve of the Marseille rival (4 goals and 2 assists in total against OM), as when he air-conditioned the Vélodrome in March 2018 (2-3) in a match played while sick, the Villeurbannais also punctured the screen several times in the Champions League.
The most beautiful of competitions 🤩
Thank you for the Comp 👍🏼 https://t.co/xx737qYXSM
— Houssem (@HoussemAouar) June 11, 2021
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In December 2019, OL had their backs against the wall with a view to qualifying in the round of 16, led 0-2 at the break by Leipzig in a deleterious atmosphere.
Houssem Aouar then rolls up a marvelous cuddled strike in the skylight to revive his team, which will save in extremis (2-2) his skin in C1.
And when no one gives the Lyonnais the slightest chance behind against Juventus and especially Manchester City, number 8 transcends himself.
Small bridge over Dybala, praise from De Bruyne
Small bridge over Paulo Dybala, and a quartet of combined dice passes in three games to bring down these two European monsters, receive the praise of Kevin De Bruyne, and hoist his training club into the last four of the Champions League.
During this insane Final 8 in the middle of summer 2020 in Lisbon, the elegant playmaker is clearly the number one asset of the last European thrill of the club, deprived of qualification for C1 since.
"Already in the Youth League [la Coupe d'Europe des U19] in November 2016, in a very important group match against Juve (0-1) for qualifying, Houssem made the difference by scoring a great goal after a great bridge on a control oriented in the central circle, ”recalls defender Bryan Ngwabije, his ex-partner for long seasons at the academy.
Three months later, his first professional goal (from his second match) was scored in the round of 16 of the Europa League against Alkmaar (7-1), at 18.
It gets worse, right?
“From time to time, we would like to boost it a little”
Why don't all the memorable memories he has fostered on the European scene with his lifelong club allow him, after five professional seasons, to be the equal of Lacazette, Umtiti, Tolisso or Fekir in the eyes of the Lyon supporters?
“Everyone agrees that he is a talented player but I find that there are still a lot of requirements vis-à-vis him, believes Armand Garrido.
Of course, from time to time, we would like to boost it a little.
But he remains an esthete with technical finesse and a remarkable reading of the game as there are not so many.
»
The stats show that he is more decisive in the European Cup than in L1
We still have the impression that Houssem Aouar never fully revived over time, after his aborted departure to Arsenal in 2020, in the wake of his Final 8. “Imagine, I remember a chicks tournament where he was already with OL, smiles Gérard Bonneau.
He has been playing for Lyon for 13 years, it is logical that there are moments of weariness.
But out of all of his 200 pro matches, there are between 75 and 80% satisfactory, right?
“Given the inconstancy that now sticks to his skin, and while he has still not clearly stabilized in one position, we can estimate that this figure is a little inflated.
"I did not necessarily find him inconstant as young people, but we knew in any case that we could count on him in the big meetings", summarizes Bryan Ngwabije, today in Lyon Duchère (National 2), who was marked by "his maturity and his professionalism" from adolescence.
Nevertheless, the figures speak for themselves, since the player is on average decisive one out of two matches in the European Cup (5 goals and 10 assists in 30 matches), against one out of three matches in Ligue 1 (26 goals and 22 offerings in 152 games).
Armand Garrido deciphers a delicate period encountered by Houssem Aouar during his training, and which can echo today.
He had signed a dazzling first season with the U17s, when we finished champions of France in 2014. The following year, he was more at ease, looking for individual achievement.
We felt that he was already in a hurry to play on the floor above, in U19.
He was doing himself a disservice by trying to make a difference on his own, and in the end, even his personal stats had been worse than in his first year.
I understood that Houssem really sublimated in adversity.
»
"Big English strikes are not his style"
This is very present in Lyon now since the installation of Maxence Caqueret as permanent manager of the Lyon environment, with winter recruit Tanguy Ndombele at his side and Lucas Paqueta as conductor in front of them.
The recurring criticisms against Houssem Aouar, especially on his lack of explosiveness, speed, and punching power, will they confine him to a joker role at the end of the season with Peter Bosz?
"For speed, television leaves a very misleading impression," says Bryan Ngwabije.
Believe me, he's a fake slow, he has that kick that hurts defenders.
After yes, the big English strikes, it is not his register.
And if the arrival of a flashy European deadline, 15 months from the end of his contract, even broke that barrier, this Wednesday at the Estádio do Dragão?
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