Cathedral silence, suffering of the official photo… Behind the scenes of the incredible Lyon defeat
The 124th duel between OM and OL, marked by an incredible Marseille success in the final moments, undoubtedly leaves its mark on the faces of the Lyon players. The group’s ability to react, including players and staff alike, will be scrutinized in a context that strongly resembles the 2023-2024 season.
>>> Behind the scenes of the Lyon defeat
Edward Jay
INFO RMC SPORT. Benatia has the support of the club and Longoria
The stunning victory of OM on OL’s turf (3-2) on Sunday night in Ligue 1 was marked by the outburst of Marseille sporting advisor Medhi Benatia towards the refereeing team, following the early expulsion of Leonardo Balerdi. The management of OM, irritated by the refereeing treatment since the beginning of the season, supports the former defender in his démarche. Contacted by RMC Sport, president Pablo Longoria does not want to let this “lack of respect towards OM” go unpunished.
>>> OM and Longoria stand behind Benatia
Florent Germain
Medhi Benatia summoned by the disciplinary committee
The sporting advisor of OM, Medhi Benatia, has been summoned by the disciplinary committee, reports L’Equipe. The Olympian official will have to explain himself after his criticism of the referee of the Olympico, Benoît Bastien.
Furious after Balerdi’s expulsion after just five minutes of play, Benatia railed against the official at halftime before making insinuations to DAZN’s microphone after the match. “I am not surprised. We see a little bit what’s going on. Mr. Bastien, Lyon-Marseille, I was already not well, of course. I still remember last year. Look at the episodes. I am not inventing anything. I watch the footage like everyone else…”
The national ethics council has referred the disciplinary committee. “His aggressive attitude is reprehensible and deserves to be referred to the disciplinary committee,” explains Patrick Anton, president of the CNE to the sports daily. “It is very vehement, but we consider it a calculated, controlled anger. Otherwise, he would have made insulting remarks. Its purpose was to put pressure on the referees for the second half. This leads the spectator to think he has lost his mind. But I consider he is in control. However, this attitude is unacceptable for an official. He should not behave like this.”
More information here.
Strong character, ambitious… all you need to know about Jonathan Rowe, the hero of the Olympico
Jonathan Rowe secured victory for OM in added time on Sunday night on OL’s pitch. A remarkable performance for the young English winger, who arrived at the end of summer in relative anonymity.
>> Strong character, ambitious… all you need to know about Jonathan Rowe, the hero of the Olympico
Images from the jubilant Marseille locker room
OM players celebrated their stunning victory at the Groupama Stadium as they should. Led by Amine Harit, the Phocaeans sang and danced in a crazy atmosphere.
“There’s reason to be very optimistic,” Riolo sees OM playing for the title
Daniel Riolo, editorialist of L’After Foot, gets excited about OM’s chances of contending for the title this season after the completely crazy success achieved in Lyon (2-3) on Sunday.
>> His complete remarks here: “There’s reason to be very optimistic,” Riolo sees OM playing for the title
“OM tonight sent another message. OM fills the messaging every week and says, ‘We will be there’. Rabiot will join this team and even if Wahi is underwhelming, there will be guys to play upfront. If even ‘left out’ players regain confidence like Ulisses Garcia, Pol Lirola…”
“There’s also Rongier, of whom I will never change my opinion; he is a 100% reliable guy, he was involved in the madness of the end of the match; look at what he did,” he continues. “Hojbjerg, he’s the boss. The midfield that OM has built this year and given the reservations we will express about PSG – and everyone is waiting for October 27 to see the confrontation between the two teams – I hope we have three teams that play for the title. We must always remain measured; at OM, things get heated very quickly. From what I see, there’s reason to be very optimistic.”
The triumphant welcome of Marseille supporters to the players at night and in the rain
The conditions were dreadful, but the exploit was worth celebrating. Several dozen Marseille supporters gathered at Marignane airport to await the OM players after their incredible success in Lyon (2-3), finishing the fifth day of Ligue 1. Despite the rain and wind, they provided an electrifying atmosphere for their heroes upon their arrival shortly after 2:30 am on the night of Sunday to Monday.
>> All the details here: the triumphant welcome of Marseille supporters to the players at night and in the rain
Numerous flares were lit, and songs were sung in a general frenzy to acknowledge this remarkable performance. Reduced to ten men by the fifth minute after the expulsion of Leonardo Balerdi, the Marseillais snatched victory at the last second of added time thanks to a strike from Englishman Jonathan Rowe. The latter, who arrived this summer, also enjoyed this special moment with his supporters by connecting with them, as he showed in a video on Instagram.
Rongier appreciates “the strong signals” sent by OM
Valentin Rongier, the midfielder for OM: “These are also strong signals to see substitutes scoring all three goals. It’s not trivial. We must build on that. That’s football; you have to believe until the end. There was this event with the red card. We did not deserve to lose even if Lyon had ball control. It’s a great scenario, especially for us, at ten against eleven, in an Olympico away. We continue to do very good things on the field, and with everything that happens outside, it creates a dynamic that you feel when watching our matches. Many things are still improvable. The coach says we are at 45% of our potential.”
Maupay praises “the mental strength” of the Marseillais
Neal Maupay, the OM attacker: “We are all very happy. We made the match complicated with Leo’s (Balerdi) expulsion at the start of the match (5th minute), but we showed that we had character and quality. All the elements seemed against us. It’s in those moments that you see the character of a team. Everyone responded, and the three scorers are players who came off the bench; that also shows the mental strength of our group.”
“The championship is very long, and we want to win every game. These are just three points, but perhaps they mark minds because we beat Lyon on their turf with a numerical disadvantage. We are all convinced that we can do great things. It’s a victory, but there are still plenty more to go if we want to achieve our goals. We’re a real group of good players and friends. It’s the entire group that will make the difference this season.”
“A professional error,” Veretout’s disappointment after the Lyon setback
Jordan Veretout, who moved from OM to OL this summer: “When you play eleven against ten and lead the score, you have to know how to kill the match, get some security. It’s hard because in the second half they came into our camp three times to score three goals. It’s a painful loss. It’s unacceptable; it’s a professional error tonight (…) We knew that in inferior numbers they would play on the counter. That was all they had to try to counter us. We left spaces, and they knew how to take advantage of them. We are OL; we lead 1-0 with 11 against ten at home; we must know how to keep the ball, move it around, allow them to come at us, and counter them. We entered the funnel, and in the end, we took counterattacks.”
Maupay trolls OL on social media
Neal Maupay, the OM attacker, makes fun of the Lyonnais in an Instagram story, posting a photo of him drinking from a bottle with the logo of Gones.
For Riolo, “OM has sent a message” in the title race
Daniel Riolo on L’After on RMC: “Monaco impresses me a lot, and I think they have a squad to stay in the top 3 until the end. And OM clearly sent another message tonight. Each week, they fill your messaging and tell you: ‘We will be there’. Rabiot will be joining this team. Even if Wahi is not performing, it’s not a problem; there will be guys to play upfront. At every position. If even ‘left out’ players like Ulisses Garcia or Pol Lirola regain confidence… (…) I hope, because I think it’s good for Ligue 1, that we will have three teams competing for the title. We will see. We must always remain measured. At OM, things heat up very quickly. But from what I see, there’s reason to be very optimistic.”
“I’m not inventing anything, look at the footage,” Benatia explains his anger towards the referees at halftime
Medhi Benatia expressed his discontent to Benoît Bastien and his assistants at halftime of OL-OM. The sporting advisor of Marseille reproached the referees for having sent off Leonardo Balerdi after less than five minutes of play, giving him a second yellow card for a pull on Alexandre Lacazette. The former Moroccan defender reiterated his outburst in the aftermath of the match on DAZN. “I am not surprised. We see a little bit what’s going on. Mr. Bastien, Lyon-Marseille, I was not well, of course. I wasn’t well, yes. Last year, I still remember. Look at the episodes. I am not inventing anything. I watch the footage like everyone else…”
Is OM disadvantaged by Mr. Bastien?, asked comedian Paul de Saint Sernin: “I am not the one who cries. Today, it went well. I could say no, no…” Benatia then recalled Derek Cornelius’ expulsion against Nice last week. Before watching live the footage of Balerdi’s second warning during his duel with Lacazette. “Look at the beginning of the action,” reacted Benatia. “At real speed, I can understand why he calls a foul. But when you watch the action, he (Lacazette) is pulling on his shirt. He has the advantage, he leans back; you give a second yellow. Look closely.”
“A big moral blow,” admits Pierre Sage
“It’s a big hit to morale. We have to take three points, and we didn’t convert. It’s a crazy scenario. If we convert our chances in the first half, our opponent wouldn’t have existed. But the story didn’t unfold that way because we didn’t convert our chances.”
“No feeling of shame,” for Pierre Sage
Pierre Sage in the press conference: “It’s unbelievable, cruel. We left our opponent alive. They kept hope and managed to seize the opportunities we gave them. We created a lot of chances, and unfortunately, we only scored two goals. I don’t have a feeling of shame; that’s a strong word. But we have reasons to be upset. I don’t blame the players who played to win the match. I’m not disappointed to have lost, but I am disappointed not to have won.”
De Zerbi “not surprised” by the dedication of the Marseillais
Roberto De Zerbi in the press conference: “I am not surprised. I am very happy to have seen this mentality and courage. The substitutes who came in to win while being ten against eleven. Seeing the players’ faces so happy at the end, I am very proud.”
“It wouldn’t be serious to talk about the title,” De Zerbi tempers
Roberto De Zerbi in the press conference: “I believed in victory before the match, during the match. We deserved this victory, even if we were reduced to ten. We suffered, but we were dangerous each time we had the chance. We believed and told ourselves we could make the city of Marseille proud.”
“I’m not talking about the title; that wouldn’t be serious. We have only just begun our journey. PSG and Monaco have an advantage over us. But we are building with the president and Medhi Benatia a team with strong players. We are striving for perfection. I don’t know where that will take us. We play every match to win, but football can be strange sometimes.”
Balerdi’s exclusion was “justified” for De Zerbi, who praises “the courage” and “the mentality” of the Marseillais
Roberto De Zerbi in the press conference: “The match was shaped by Balerdi’s exclusion. An exclusion that is justified in my opinion. We dedicate this victory to him because he is our captain. He knows he made an error, but we’re not abandoning him. It was a great match with courage and a beautiful mentality. That’s the most important thing. It’s fundamental for long-term engagement. Starting Tuesday, we will turn our attention to the match against Strasbourg, which will be difficult and which we hope to play with eleven against eleven.”
“It’s a shame; we keep retreating,” Cherki’s big outburst
Ryan Cherki, the attacking midfielder for OL, on DAZN: “It’s a shame. They’ve been down to ten since the fifth minute. It’s been years that here we lead and only keep retreating. All the time. Again. The match moves on; we have 3,500 chances, but despite that, we only keep retreating. At some point, if we want to be a great team, we need to bury the teams that come to play here when we lead. When we lead, we need to know how to score one, two, three, four, five. Today, there was nothing for them, and they leave with three points, they play the stars, and we go home with zero points. We only keep retreating when normally, seeing all the chances we created, it ends at 3-0, 4-0, or 5-0. A mentality problem? I don’t know. We will need to keep working. The only positive point is that we create seven or eight chances per half. We need to continue like that, but this time, bury the opponents that come here.”
“A crazy match,” revels Brassier
Lilian Brassier, defender for OM, on DAZN: “It’s a crazy match. We were down to ten and managed to win. I am proud of our team. We need to enjoy this and continue on this momentum. I haven’t fully realized it yet.”
ROWE GIVES THE OLYMPICO TO MARSEILLE, LYON CAN REGRET NOT CAPITALIZING AT 11 AGAINST 10 FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE MATCH
L’Olympique de Marseille claims the Olympico 3-1 at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon after a very high-stakes match and an incredible goal from Rowe late in the match! Playing 10 against 11 for almost the entire match, OM executed a perfect game in terms of courage and realism… everything contrasted with Lyon tonight, who may regret!
BUT WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY GOAL BY ROWE!
This end to the match is incredible with a fabulous display from Jonathan Rowe! He dribbles on the left, moves into the middle, and sends a brilliant and powerful shot into the top corner past Lucas Perri! 3-2!
CHERKI AVOIDS THE WORST IN LYON!
Another possession phase for Lyon with Nuamah sending Maitland Niles deep! The Englishman crosses to the near post for Cherki’s deflection, 2-2!
5 additional minutes
There will be 5 minutes of added time in this frenetic match! Fofana starts again, but Hojbjerg remains on the ground.
OL pushes in the final moments of the match
OM will have to bring out a double barbed wire to win this Olympico given OL’s complete domination!
ANOTHER CHANCE FOR MIKAUTADZE!
The Georgian almost became OL’s savior with a sudden acrobatic overhead that flies over Rulli’s goal!
MIKAUTADZE HAD A CHANCE TO EQUALIZE!
Superb cross from Maitland Niles that stretches and centers towards Mikautadze! The Georgian fights and heads the ball powerfully but overshoots!
GARCIA SCORES AGAIN, OLYMPICO TILTS!
What an incredible scenario in this match with a run by Lirola behind Fofana. He crosses to the second post for Ulisses Garcia’s volley that beats Perri! 2-1 for OM!
10 minutes left to play
Outside of added time, there are 10 minutes left to play in this match! Lyon applies tremendous pressure, but Maitland Niles’s shot goes wildly off!
Rulli remains vigilant
Another corner for Lyon, who is pushing hard with a swirling Fofana. Nuamah takes the ensuing corner, but Rulli intervenes!
NUAMAH’S SHOT JUST MISSES!
Big charge from Fofana who delivers in the box to Mikautadze, and the Georgian opens to the other side for Nuamah! The Lyon winger curls a powerful shot that flirts with the post!
Mata does something ridiculous
The corners keep coming for OL, but there’s a rush to strike with a powerful shot from Mata… well off target!
Huge battle on corner
Corner for Lyon with Abner’s left foot, but there’s pushing and shoving between Hojbjerg and Caleta-Car.
MARSEILLE MIRACULOUSLY EQUALIZES THROUGH LIROLA!
Lyon had a significant defensive lapse on Pol Lirola’s equalizer! Luis Henrique seeks a one-two with Garcia and the blocked ball comes through for Lirola! The player finishes the job with a deft chip over Lucas Perri!
Mikautadze and Caqueret enter the game
Double change for Pierre Sage with the entries of Mikautadze and Caqueret. Lacazette and Veretout give up their places.
Marseille regains footing
OM hasn’t said its last word in this match and slowly regains possession… but gets countered with Maitland Niles’s shot! It is caught by Rulli.
An ex who sours OM
Having played for OM from 2018 to 2022, Duje Caleta-Car pulls a bad trick on his old club with this goal!
RULLI STOPS LACAZETTE AGAIN!
What a play by Maitland-Niles, who goes down the center on a series of dribbles before perfectly launching Lacazette! The captain focuses and strikes hard with his left foot, but Rulli deflects!
OL rewarded and wanting more
Despite the deserved opener, OL continues to control the ball and attempts to return to the opposing box.
CALETA-CAR FINDS THE GAP, GROUPAMA EXPLODES!
A superb ball won by Clinton Mata on the side who follows up with an equally brilliant cross for Caleta-Car’s powerful header that stays in the box! It’s under the bar, Rulli is beat!
Lacazette tries a powerful strike, Hojbjerg deflects
Superb ball to Tolisso who lays it back for Lacazette. He shifts right foot and sends a heavy strike that is deflected by Hojbjerg’s torso!
“Don’t treat people like fools,” Benatia’s huge anger towards the referees at halftime
Medhi Benatia, the sporting advisor of OM, vehemently called out Benoit Bastien and his assistants at halftime on the OL field. The former Moroccan international appeared furious, convinced of having been wronged by the decisions made in the first half, particularly with the expulsion of Leonardo Balerdi. “Mr. Referee, there’s a foul by Lacazette at the start,” shouted Benatia, visibly angry. “Two fouls from Balerdi, and you give a red card. Start respecting us. Start respecting us. Last week it was Cornelius, again. Don’t treat people like fools, huh, don’t treat people like fools.”
Abner stays on the ground
Lyon player Abner is on the ground, hurt from a rather trivial contact. Cherki and Mikautadze have gone to warm up.
IT’S RESUMED AT THE GROUPAMA STADIUM!
Kick-off of the second half and the last 45 minutes of this Olympico!
Pol Lirola replaces Elye Wahi to strengthen the defensive system.
LYON AND MARSEILLE END GOALLESS AFTER 45 MINUTES OF HIGH DRAMA!
It’s halftime in this Olympico! No goals between Lyon and Marseille (0-0) after an exceptional first half! Balerdi’s expulsion just 5 minutes into the game has led to a very open match with a plethora of chances for Lyon. But above all, Géronimo Rulli saved a penalty from Lacazette! OL pushes but runs into a great Argentine goalkeeper… and a crossbar savior on Orban’s acrobatic overhead.
RULLI GROSSLY DISTRACTS LACAZETTE ON PENALTY!
Penalty therefore for OL, it’s going to be taken by captain and general Alexandre Lacazette… He steps up, and Rulli deflects the attempt! Lacazette returns but is obstructed by Brassier, the ball flies!
PENALTY FOR LYON!
Long send towards Tolisso who redirects with his head… onto the raised hand of Rongier! OL calls for a penalty!
VAR gets involved… PENALTY AWARDED!
Mata gets yellow
Great individual movement from Greenwood, who speeds past Mata on a nutmeg, and the defender commits a deliberate foul. Yellow card!
Three minutes extra
After all the first half incidents, the referee gives three minutes of added time!
HUGE SAVE BY TOLISSO ON THE LINE!
Corner for Marseille, and after a scramble, Koné shoots at goal! Perri is beaten, but not Tolisso, who clears the ball off the line!
Koné wins a corner
Very active since the start of the match, Koné takes a shot from a distance but it’s deflected for a corner by Caleta-Car!
LACAZETTE FINDS RULLI ON THE PATH!
Long ball for Lacazette who attempts a delicate lob in front of Rulli, but the Argentine goalkeeper easily deflects!
Greenwood attempts to launch Wahi
Ball won by the Marseille midfielder, and Greenwood tries to find Wahi immediately, but it’s offside!
Matic rakes well
Since the start of the match, Nemanja Matic has been sweeping the field effectively and showing off his spatial awareness.
Marseille defends well
OM has taken account of their handicap and is defending better and better but is burning out more rapidly in terms of energy.
Veretout attempts a direct corner
Corner for Lyon, and Jordan Veretout tries to put it directly in Rulli’s goal. It’s well over!
Lyon lacks realism
Several times, Lyon manages to present danger in front of the goal, but they are sorely lacking players in the box.
Shot too squashed for Tolisso
At the edge of the box, Corentin Tolisso attempts a left-foot shot but it’s too squashed and off target!
Rulli deflects everything he can
Brilliant run from Lacazette who crosses strongly to the penalty spot, but Rulli punches it out!
Lyon drastically retreats
Surprising turnaround with OL’s block dropping back significantly and allowing Marseille to pass through the sides. Alexandre Lacazette urges his teammates to push up a little more!
MARSEILLE REVOLTS, PERRI DEFLECTS!
OM shows heart with a huge effort from Greenwood who crosses to the penalty spot for Rongier’s sudden strike! Lucas Perri makes a brilliant reflex save!
OL rotates the ball
After the euphoria of the opening moments, OL decides to circulate the ball a bit to make the Marseillais run.
RONGIER’S SAVE!
What a brilliant opening from Matic for Tolisso who controls with his chest, dribbles Rulli, and shoots towards an empty goal! Rongier appears and intervenes on the line!
Marseille is pinned back in its box
OM, as expected with a numerical disadvantage, retracts and endures every OL attack. Until when will they hold out?
Groupama in flames
At 11 against 10, Groupama Stadium feels that Lyon is not far from opening the scoring and pushes in that direction!
RULLI’S IMPERIAL INTERVENTION!
Brilliant ball from Tolisso for Gift Orban, who attempts a backheel with his outside foot to deceive Rulli! The Argentine goalkeeper deflects!
Rongier enters, Harit is out
Roberto De Zerbi wastes no time making his first change with Rongier coming on for Harit.
THE CROSSBAR FOR ORBAN ON A BRILLIANT MOVE!
OL pushes even further with a headed effort from Tolisso deflected for a corner, but Orban immediately attempts an acrobatic overhead that hits the crossbar!
OM in a bad situation
This Olympico starts very badly for OM with Balerdi’s two-step expulsion. De Zerbi will need to find quick solutions!
Rulli is not reassuring
On a strong header from Tolisso, Rulli deflects weakly toward an OL player, but recovers!
RED CARD FOR BALERDI!
Incredible start to the match with the expulsion of Balerdi, who receives a second yellow card after pulling Lacazette’s shirt!
Lyon enters the box
Free kick for Lyon, and Lacazette places a header in the box. Ultimately, an offside is called.
Tolisso still on the ground
Corentin Tolisso has been treated for almost two minutes but is about to return to the field… Caqueret has gone to warm up.
YELLOW CARD FOR BALERDI
Already a yellow card for Leonardo Balerdi after a very dangerous and late tackle on Tolisso. Not good news for the fiery Argentine.
Lyon will need to adjust defensively
A last statistic to know, and not in OL’s favor. Lyon has conceded 15 goals in its last 7 home matches in Ligue 1, while it had conceded only 3 in the first 5 under Pierre Sage’s management.
KICK-OFF OF LYON-MARSEILLE!
L’Olympique Lyonnais welcomes L’Olympique de Marseille Sunday night at the Groupama Stadium, concluding the 5th day of Ligue 1. Who will win the Olympico?
De Zerbi in the footsteps of… Elie Baup?
Marseille has won its last 3 away matches in Ligue 1, as many as in the previous 21 (6 draws, 12 defeats). Roberto De Zerbi could be the second coach of OM to start with 3 away wins in L1 after Elie Baup in 2012.
“OL is not armed to win the title,” Sonny Anderson responds to Textor on Lyon’s ambitions this season
Invited on Bartoli Time this Sunday on RMC before the Ligue 1 clash against OM, Sonny Anderson is convinced that OL is not yet equipped to play for the title, contrary to what club owner John Textor claims.
>> Sonny Anderson’s remarks on Bartoli Time are here
The OM lineup with Wahi at the forefront
Roberto De Zerbi trusts Elye Wahi to lead the OM attack.
Rulli – Murillo, Brassier, Balerdi, Kone – Kondogbia, Hojbjerg, Harit – Greenwood, Henrique, Wahi
The OL lineup with a three-man defense
A 3-5-2 concocted by Pierre Sage, as against Lens.
Perri – Mata, Caleta Car, Tagliafico – Maitland-Niles, Veretout, Matic, Tolisso, Abner – Orban, Lacazette
OL’s bus welcomed with flares
The supporters of OL are ready to cheer on their team against OM.
“The only real attack is Marseille,” says Sonny Anderson
Sonny Anderson, former attacker for OL and OM, invited on Bartoli Time on RMC: “When you look at the standings, there is one team that plays to be first in the ranking with PSG and Monaco. The other is playing a bit for its survival. The project isn’t the same for both teams. Marseille is among the title favorites with Paris and Monaco. But in recent years, OM has not been winning in Lyon. The only real attack is Marseille. In Lyon, the only striker certain to feature on the match sheet is Lacazette. There has been turnover in attack with Orban, Mikautadze, Benrahma. At OM, it’s the same attackers; the automatism is there.”
OM’s bus arrived without incident at the stadium
A drone, a helicopter, and several CRS were positioned to keep away the handful of OL supporters who wanted to launch flares towards the bus of OL upon its arrival at the Groupama Stadium. The vehicle transporting the Marseillais entered the stadium without incident, through a different gate than the Lyonnais. Without any particular problems.
EJ
OM with a special badge for absent supporters
A badge should be present tonight on the OM shirt: “Marseillais, like one man.” A habit when the phocaean club travels to its supporters, as is the case in Lyon.
EJ
The kick-off given by Florent Manaudou, Apithy-Brunet, and Aboudou
Three French medalists from Paris 2024 will give the kick-off of this clash between OL and OM at the Groupama Stadium. Swimmer Florent Manaudou, born in Villeurbanne and raised in Ambérieu, fencer Manon Apithy-Brunet, Olympic champion, and boxer Djamili-Dini Aboudou, a Northerner but an OL supporter.
EJ
Thomasson on Rabiot’s arrival at OM: “I’m a little old-fashioned…”
Invited to the “Stephen Brunch” show this Sunday on RMC, Adrien Thomasson reacted to the surprising signing of former Parisian Adrien Rabiot at OM. An arrival that surprised the RC Lens midfielder.
“Honestly, I had a hard time believing it when we learned about it given the player’s pedigree and his Parisian past. It’s true that I was very surprised, even though in modern football nothing surprises me anymore. I’m a bit old-fashioned… I liked players who respected teams by not necessarily signing with enemy clubs. There have been exceptions. You have to be cautious about everything now when you’re young and are making videos, when you’re asked which club you would never play for… We saw it with Elye Wahi; we need to stay measured. Everything catches up with us with social media. But for the league, it’s great that Rabiot can come back. I’m waiting to see; there is so much expectation. Either it will gel immediately, or people will be disappointed. This news stirred up the locker room a bit for a few days,” said Thomasson.
The Lyonnais almost complete, with Cherki
For the reception of Marseille rivals, Pierre Sage called up 22 players. Former Phocen Jordan Veretout is summoned and could play against his former teammates.
Seven attackers will be vying for a starting place, but that won’t be the case for Saïd Benrahma, absent from the group, who was already on the bench in the last match against Lens. The Algerian international yields his place to recently extended Rayan Cherki.
The Marseille group without two key defenders
For this Olympico, Roberto De Zerbi has called up 21 players. The usual starters of this start of the season Hojbjerg, Kondogbia, Greenwood will indeed be present. Also note the return of captain Leonardo Balerdi.
However, neither Cornelius (suspended after his red card against Nice) nor Quentin Merlin (injured in the thigh with the U21s) will support the Argentine defender.
What lineup for OM against OL?
In the absence of Cornelius (suspended) and Merlin (thigh injury), Roberto De Zerbi tested two options this week. One more classic with Rongier on the right side of defense, as against Nice, and Kondogbia in midfield. Another more innovative with Kondogbia in defense (the arrival of Rabiot could, ultimately, push the midfielder back; the Italian coach has had the idea of using him in defense for some time now), Koné in midfield, and Balerdi on the right side. In both cases, Murillo will have more offensive freedom, and Rongier or Balerdi would be more central when OM has the ball. One uncertainty remains between Maupay and Wahi for the choice of center forward. Balerdi is expected to regain his captain’s armband.
The two possible lineups against Lyon
Rulli – Balerdi, Kondogbia, Brassier, Murillo – Koné, Hojbjerg – Greenwood, Harit, Luis Henrique – Wahi or Maupay
Rulli – Rongier, Balerdi, Brassier, Murillo – Hojbjerg, Kondogbia – Greenwood, Harit, Luis Henrique – Wahi or Maupay
FG
More information here.
Hello everyone
Welcome to RMC Sport to follow live commentary of the clash to close the 5th day of Ligue 1 between Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille. Kick-off at 20:45 at the Groupama Stadium.