While they could have temporarily climbed onto the podium with a win, Lyon remains stuck in 5th place with 48 points, and under threat from Monaco (46 points) who are playing Marseille in the evening. On the other hand, this 33rd point of the season is still good for SCO (12th) as they aim for a maintenance which is very close, even if it is not mathematically guaranteed yet.
The international break may not have been restful for its players, as OL hoped to regain momentum and end their series of five winless matches, including three defeats in Ligue 1, along with their elimination from the Europa League by Celta Vigo.
Sunday’s 3 p.m. matches rarely offer a frenetic pace, but that’s certainly not the sole explanation for this particularly laborious performance from a team aiming for a Champions League qualification. Lacking inspiration and sharpness, the spark never came against the Angevins, admittedly well organized and disciplined but lacking ambition in their play.
Facing an opponent they had beaten eleven times in their last twelve encounters, Lyon needed to do much better. Only Afonso Moreira, on the left, brought movement and life, in contrast with Endrick who was completely shut down by Jacques Ekomi and his teammates before being substituted in the 73rd minute.
Sulc and Tolisso Injured
The deteriorating physical condition of Paulo Fonseca’s players was also evident in the exits of Pavel Sulc in the 55th minute, after being examined on the ground by the doctor, and Corentin Tolisso (64th). The Lyon captain had started to drag his leg and touch his left thigh after a shot in the 48th minute, easily saved by Koffi but which was the first semblance of an opportunity in the match.
The substitutions on both sides slightly loosened up the end of the game, with Angers trying their luck more after Prosper Peter came on (68th), but primarily offering more space to the visitors, to whom they also too frequently returned the ball quickly.
Roman Yaremchuk, Sulc’s replacement, added weight up front, Rachid Ghezzal, who had replaced Tolisso, brought verticality in passes, and Khalis Merah added movement, but Lyon still struggled to create more than a few confused situations in front of the opponent’s goal.
