Lyon head coach Hubert Fournier was pleased with his side for a job well done after their 2-0 Ligue 1 win over Metz on Sunday.
Lyon forward and Ligue 1 top scorer Alexandre Lacazette has played down suggestions from club president Jean-Michel Aulas that he is worth more than Gareth Bale.
Go on, admit it. You have been seduced by this Lyon team. I have and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
You have fallen in love with the elegant Alexandre Lacazette and his 21 goals in 22 league games. The manager Hubert Fournier reminds you of your school teacher but in a good way. You have been bowled over by the revelation that is Nabil Fekir, with his left foot and silky skills. Corentin Tolisso has a cool goal celebration and, at only 20, is also a very promising, versatile player.
And we can’t forget Yoann Gourcuff. Who could not like him? He has the right foot, the vision, the looks and the (almost) constant injuries that make for compelling drama and all of us miss him even more when he’s on the sidelines! All of that and more is the Lyon of today.
You feel that, in this day and age of big financial superpowers and Financial Fair Play, seeing a team perform so well that starts, on average, eight academy graduates, is refreshing and a special achievement.
After 22 league games, Les Gones are top of Ligue 1, four points clear of Marseille and PSG and with a goal-difference advantage of 10 over both. Quite simply, nobody expected them to be in this position, producing the quality of football they have.
With Lacazette in irresistible form and after a terrible start to the season — three defeats in their first four league games and 17th place in the table — Lyon have recovered in an incredible way to now be in the hot seat in the title race. But the biggest tests still lay ahead.
They have shown that they can challenge for the title but, if they want to be crowned champions ahead of PSG’s superstars and the Marcelo Bielsa-inspired Marseille, they will have to show it in the next two weeks, in which they will visit Monaco and host PSG.
Before his injury, Alexandre Lacazette had scored in nine straight games in all competitions.
And they will be without their talisman. Lacazette limped off on Sunday after 34 minutes against Metz, holding the back of his left thigh and a scan revealed that he will be out for three to four weeks.
Regardless of the opposition, his absence takes away the most potent aspect of the Lyon attack. Lacazette has been involved in 55 percent of his team’s league goals — 26 of 47 — this season and the fear he generates in opposing defenders also frees up his teammates.
Lyon without Lacazette is like Real Madrid without Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona without Lionel Messi or PSG without Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The problem, though, is that the Ligue 1 leaders don’t have a Gareth Bale, a Luis Suarez or an Edinson Cavani as backup.
Will Fournier be able to find a way, tactically, to replace the influence and the efficiency of his star striker? The 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield that Fournier has been using is perfect for Lacazette but, without him and against Monaco and PSG, can he keep playing like that? Lyon might be better with just one up front playing on the counter.
Equally, while Fekir has eight goals and five assists in 18 league games, the 21-year-old won’t be able to fill the Lacazette void on his own. It is more collectively that the answer will come for Lyon and the likes of Rachid Ghezzal (22 years old), Yassine Benzia (20), Fares Bahlouli (19) and Gnaly Cornet (18) may also get the chance to make an impact?
On the plus side Gourcuff, who recently returned after a month out, will bring a lot to the team if he can just stay fit. And still, Lyon are on an impressive run of results in the league with seven straight wins in a row and 10 in successive wins at home!
Whichever way Fournier opts to go with his lineup, there is no doubt that that Lyon’s next two opponents are formidable. Monaco have claimed 10 wins and two draws in their past 12 games in all competitions.
It has been a run built on defence by Leonardo Jardim’s side: Monaco have registered 11 clean sheets in that period. (The only team to score against them was Lyon in a 1-1 draw in the League Cup, a tie which Monaco won on penalties.)
Monaco also have great talent up front as well with Bernardo Silva, Ferreira Carrasco, Dimitar Berbatov and Anthony Martial. The last time they lost at home, in any competition, was in September.
A week later, on Feb. 8, PSG visit the Stade Gerland. Should the champions beat Rennes at home next weekend and should Lyon lose at Monaco, Fournier’s side would only be a point clear heading into that clash.
Ibrahimovic & Co. are looking stronger than they did three weeks ago and, in terms of mental strength, attitude and resilience, were spot on in their 1-0 win at St Etienne on Sunday. The performance was not great in terms of football but they played tough, didn’t concede chances and Ibrahimovic’s penalty won it for them.
Apart from Gourcuff (28), Milan Bisevac, Cristophe Jallet (both 31) and Steed Malbranque (34), Lacazette-less Lyon have little experience of the pressure associated with such big games and could be third in the table after their next two games.
However, given the surprise they have pulled to top the standings at this stage of the season, it would be unwise to bet against dealing with what comes next.