He no longer has his mouth wiggle, characteristic of stressful days. Laurent Blanc is a new man, determined to bring a wind of novelty and serenity to Olympique Lyonnais who really needed it.
Jostled Sunday evening at Groupama Stadium for the premiere of his coach in his new home, close to cracking but preserved either by his bar on a lob from Jonathan David (32nd), or by Anthony Lopes (60th, 73rd, 80th), his team did not panic. To end up winning 1-0 in the shock of this 13th day of Ligue 1 against LOSC, yet Lyon’s scarecrow.
Because the Mastiffs had become too used to turning into a terrible bete noire for the Rhodaniens, devoured or almost during their last eleven meetings in the Championship. But as we have said, Blanc passed on to OL the patience it lacked. The former PSG and Bordeaux coach seems to know where he wants to go and how.
A coach true to his convictions
Carrying out hitherto profitable shots, already operated in Rennes (3-2) and Montpellier (1-2): offer Alexandre Lacazette a useful anchor point with Moussa Dembélé, relaunch the experienced Jérôme Boateng in defense, give the keys to the game for Houssem Aouar… “The coach knows where he wants to go, he has given us back our confidence, it is clear that we lacked it with very negative results, abounds Anthony Lopes at the microphone of Prime Video. He said publicly that we were in a hurry for points, we will have time to work after the World Cup break and put things in place. If there’s a way, that’s good, but if it’s not there and we take points, we take anyway. »
These intimate convictions allowed the team of Laurent Blanc to glean a second success in three games. His first challenge was successful at Groupama Stadium, where the passing exam was rather high against Lille who landed confident because of three wins in a row.
Even when he was forced to change his system because of the injury of Damien Da Silva – a 5-3-2 for a 4-3-1-2 – Blanc, hailed by the public, got it right. Patient, it was Lyon who this time ate the Mastiffs thanks to the eighth goal of the season from Lacazette (74th). A General for a President, relieved.
life in white
Johann Lepenant was also satisfied after this “happy victory”. “There is something happening within the group, there is an effect on the part of the coach, we are all together, you can feel it. It was really a beautiful moment with the public, we will enjoy. » More and more euphoric, OL (8th) came within a point of Lille (7th), gleaning in 2022-23 their fifth success in seven receptions at Groupama Stadium. The citadel is already looking forward to seeing what this new life in White will bring.