OLYMPIQUE LYONS contra RC LENS 08/16/2025
SUMMARY Many players have left OL for the financial adjustments again, that is two seasons in a row the club has been forced to shift players to make financial adjustments. Textor is a cautionary tale on trying to own teams all over the place and why the City and Redbull groups are phony because these corporations know the clubs they own can't be in the same competitions like that too much so they own them to not be as competitive, but they have the financial strength to maintain them. The biggest issue with OL is they had good chances but none led to a goal. Scoring goals is a skill, but also a talent. We Mikataudtze or Fofana have to become big goalscorers not supportive goalscorers with the absence of Lacazette. I said Fofana + Mikautadze will have to step up, the first half is nice with a clean sheet + goal. GOAL https://x.com/GonesHouse_/status/1956745288879624661
The key in the second half is can OL keep a clean sheet and score more, the season is long. Instead of game by game I will like Half by half. OL won their first half of the season, how about their second half of the season? Lacazette + Cherki + Matic are great players but Lacazette as a set up man, gets away from the more direct goalscoring style of Mikautadze,and Cherki's jazz playing creativity, DribbleKing jr, gets in the way of other players simpler creativity, Matic has great experience but others tend to look to him instead of leading themselves. I like that OL handled the higher frequency attack of Lens , with Lens most creative midfield player Thauvin, who I think earned a starting role in this game.
SIDE NOTE From Osasu Obayiuwana “When you are at the top and I am at the top in football, it is very difficult to have friends, friends with a big F. And for those who are in football, it is very difficult for them to tell me the truth.” - @SeppBlatter , then @FIFAcom President, speaking to me during the @London2012 @Olympics . https://x.com/osasuo/status/1956219754978431469
MY THOUGHTS WHILE VIEWING 06:30 Niles has to score that , one time touch and score, he needed to settle 10:08 Mikaudtadze lovely feed to him by Niles, but M~ went to far wide, got to strike. 12:18 Nice feed from Tolisso to Mikaudtadze, but his low strike to the far corner was to high 13:10 Niles great lob to Tolisso , forced a save, strong but in the safe area. 13:55 Kumbedi had to challenge the keeper, he read the poor kick away by the lens keeper but then does a terrible header with no body on him, skills in need. 16:18 Fofana, low cross but nobody was at the near post. Mikaudtadze has work to do. 19:33 The problem with Mikataudze is he doesn't have the ability to win the physical battles, when a player is shorter +lighter they have a controlled acuteness in their movement to win battles with taller/heavier/sometimes faster central defenders 27:45 Machado tried a copa libertadores level tackle 29:05 great through ball from Tolisso to Fofana. He was outmuscled. 29:43 Lens have lost none of their toughness, always battling, if you aren't ready for contact or react 30:47 nice one touch passing, the Portuguese coach has a squad that do nice one touch buildup play even from deep in the back. but they lack finishing. I argue, Fofana or others need to pull wide when they become the last player, play for possession, because none of the attempts to score were executed well enough. 36:31 Kumbedi seems really sore after the physical clash 40:35 Tolisso set up Mikataudze well but he went for goal, not try to feed a runner 40:57 Nice save from descamps, in the safe zone but close quarters 41:35 Great patience looking up and not running on the break from Fofana, Niles, great idea to head back but it was intercepted but the challenge on Niles earned a set piece, the Lens player should not had fouled Niles, he was free in the sky, he wanted to bump him cause he missed the marking. 43:35 Nice idea to chip the ball and almost worked, i hope OL do that more often, set pieces need to go to markers, yes I know Roberto Carlos and Juninho and Ronaldhino but.. lets play set pieces the best team way. 44:50 Nice lob from Abner Vinicius to Fofana, timed well, FOFANA ASSIST!!! he outran his marker, simple but very effective low slot to Mikataudtze and he slipped it in a short lob. 45:00+3:17 Machado forced a save but in safe zone for the OL keeper and not powerful enough. 45:00+3:54 Great defensive block by Fofana, stopping the cross to end the half 47:22 Fofana seems to realize how to use the outlet ball to support Mikautadze, mikautadze held up and Niles earned a corner. 49:22 Great turn from Fofana, great muscle, that strength timing. Got the ball back fro Mikautadze, but the cross was intercepted. 50:23 Mikautadze got to go for his teammate Niles, not for the distant strike. 53:12 Tolisso on a second header from a corner, directed away from the goal, got to do better. 54:40 Morton has a decent set piece quality 55:46 Nice save from the keeper the deflection was close by the OL defender. 56:40 Ryan Fofana off for Florain Thauvin 58:10 Thauvin has come on energetically 59:19 Good wide play from Fofana 60:50 poor switch from Mikautadze to Fofana 61:48 Tessman needed as MAtic is gone as well 64:59 Lens Said had to score that Mata was not called for the foul, could had been, was attached. 65:33 Kumbedi off for Merah for OL. 66:45 Diakhate good ball out, earned the goal kick 70:08 Tolliso is down, oh no, he has to stay healthy, OL can't afford for him to go out for long. need his leadership. 72:02 Merah saved, us, we became pass drunk 74:31 no excuse OL, got to score. Fofana's strike to low and straight. nice set up by Niles , but he wasn't ready to score on a first time strike. Mikautadze made a good run before. 75:07 MAchado off for Bermot for Lens 76:21 nice collective recovery , it is late, some players are tired but they made the effort. 77:35 Mesah , poor ball to Fofana, no excuse not to pass it straight to him
78:07 Decamps good patience, was beaten if the LEns player got a foot to it but he didn't and he grabbed it. 80: 45 Diakhate, good bait, the Lens player had no reason to barge into him.. 84:42 Tessman another intercepted ow cross 84:54 Aguilar off for Abedel Hamid+ Sotoca in for Said for Lens 86:06 Guilavoge poor foul, good strength on the ball from the OL player 87:03 good pass from DEcamps to Tollisso but Tolisso even with space and angle don't have the legs. 87:33 Fofana, good strength , didn't need to be fouled by the Lens players 89:07 I like Merah's tenacity, really goes after the ball, likes to one touch in attack 90:00+0:23 nice defense , Abner and Fofana have blocked out those crosses. Tolisso sold it:) well done 90:00+1:17 Fofana out for SulcMikautadze out for Karabic for OL they will have three minutes 90:00+2:50 Niakhate big touch on the cross 90:00+3:40 Tessman good ball out but Karabic earned a set piece ALLEZ OL!
