Bern, Switzerland – Olympique Lyonnais secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Young Boys on Thursday, continuing a streak of seven consecutive wins, though the manner of the win is becoming a familiar pattern: a tight contest decided by a single goal.
Lyon Extends Winning Run, But Close Calls Continue
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The French side is racking up wins, but often finds itself pushed to the limit in the final stages of matches.
- Lyon has won six of its seven Europa League matches this year, but many have been closely contested.
- Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored the decisive goal in Bern.
- manager Paulo Fonseca acknowledged Young Boys’ strong push for an equalizer in the final 20 minutes.
- The team’s ability to remain united and focused is a key factor in their recent success.
“We lacked aggression in the last thirty meters. We dominated almost the entire match. But afterwards, there was the reaction of a team that needs to win, we must not forget that. They took risks in the last 20 minutes, brought in more attackers, but I think we defended well.”
A Familiar Scenario
this pattern mirrors recent domestic clashes against Le Havre (1-0), Lille (1-2), and Brest (2-1), where Lyon managed to secure victories despite facing pressure. However, the team has also experienced dropped points in the past due to late-game struggles, such as draws against Toulouse (1-2), Paris FC (3-3), and Rennes (3-1).
Have they learned from those past mistakes? The current run of seven consecutive successes suggests so. “Of course, winning seven times in a row is very significant,” stated Khalis Red, “It reflects the image of the team as we won in all three competitions, which shows that we take them to heart and that we play them seriously. We want to go far, we have ambition, so it’s a collective satisfaction.”
Even without the presence of Moussa Diakhaté, who recently returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, Lyon continues to find a way to win. This resilience is particularly encouraging as a potentially exciting end to the season looms. “We are very happy to have won, against a good opponent and on a complex pitch,” said Corentin Tolisso. “But we played a good game, knew how to keep the ball sometimes when we had to, were solid in the last minutes… We are still first,it’s a positive evening.”
The club is well-positioned to finish atop its Europa League group and has already qualified for the round of 16. “The job is done,” Red reiterated. “Everything was not perfect, the conditions were not usual (due to synthetic turf) and we suffered at the end, but for the rest, we did pretty well.the little warning with the denied equalizer marked us, so we had to regain control, turn the ball, which we did well for a few minutes. We managed well, I think except in the final moments where we scared ourselves a little.”
Collective Spirit Key to Success
What’s driving this success for Lyon in the early stages of 2026? Players consistently emphasize the team’s strong collective spirit. “We managed to hold on thanks to our collective state of mind,” said Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who scored the only goal of the match. “No matter how difficult the matches are,we stay together,we remain a team. We fight together, as a team, and it’s really good.” His midfield partner agreed, adding, “Even when there are little slacks, we remain solid and united.”
While the team’s solidarity has been a constant since last summer, results dipped in october and November. Now, with new players joining the squad, the team is experiencing a resurgence.
