Match Focus: Draw Favours Nobody in Battle of the Olympiques
It would be easy to think that L’Equipe’s Sunday morning headline, “Du KO dans l’air,” which prefaced the evening clash of the Olympiques between Lyon and Marseille, leaned towards the over-dramatic. This is, after all, only January during a season in which Paris Saint-Germain’s overpowering dominance of Ligue 1 has contributed to a close skirmish between the rest, with the role of the champions’ dauphin a perennially temporary one. Occupation of the second spot in the table has already changed hands four times since competition restarted on January 8th.
Maybe even the best versions of Lyon and Marseille couldn’t have held a candle to the imperious Parisiens, but we’ll never know, because both of these giants have fallen woefully short of expectations. L’Equipe’s words captured a mood, but not quite as well as the soft, collective exhale that met the final whistle here. With no winners, both of these two are running out of wriggle room as they reach for a return to the Champions League.
Last season’s runners-up, unceremoniously dumped out of Europe altogether in a deeply disappointing return to the Champions League, are still attempting to recover from the six defeats in seven leading into Christmas that led to coach Hubert Fournier being replaced by his assistant Bruno Genesio.
Perhaps Marseille’s struggles were slightly more predictable following the departures of cornerstones André-Pierre Gignac and André Ayew. Marcelo Bielsa’s walkout after the opening night defeat to Caen blasted away any sheen of stability that existed at this most habitually turbulent of clubs. Michel was hardly first choice as replacement, but had worked OM into their best spot so far this season on the back of a run of just two defeats in 18 games in all competitions leading into this. It’s not been a totally happy camp, though, with no home win in Ligue 1 since September stoking frustration at the club’s reduced resources.
Monaco have been a long way short of their own high points from the last campaign, but their uncharacteristically breezy showing earlier in the day, as they thumped Toulouse 4-0, took them back into second and, crucially, 10 points clear of the Olympiques, piling on the pressure ahead of kick-off. In terms of the Champions League it may not have quite been now or never, but certainly a case of if not now, probably not at all. In the three seasons that the third-placed French club has needed to traverse two qualifying rounds to make the Champions Legaue group stage, not a single one has managed it. The difference between second and third place in Ligue 1 is immense.
The greater pressure, at least ostensibly, was on Lyon in the second match in their impressive new Parc OL. Genesio had guided them to three wins since taking over, but they were all against sides who won’t be in the top-flight next year - Limoges and Chambly in the Coupe de France, and rock-bottom Troyes in the league.
Far more pertinent was last week’s derby loss at Saint Etienne. Genesio’s side continued their improved level of performance, bossed the match, enjoyed 65% of the ball, had 19 shots to their hosts’ nine, and yet contrived to lose 1-0 after a horrible error by Corentin Tolisso. The efficiency had to improve. Lyon have quickly arrived at the moment where points mean much more than prettiness.
Fruitless possession has become a major theme of Lyon’s season. Only PSG (64.3%) enjoy more of the ball than Lyon’s 58.8% average, yet they rank 8th in terms of goalscorers in the division. Here, 64.5% of first-half possession yielded little to trouble Steve Mandanda, who was largely a spectator, save one dash from his line to smother Alexandre Lacazette.
If it all looked set up for the visitors, they had to cope with the lack of Lassana Diarra, by far OM’s outstanding player this season with an average rating of 7.46. Up to this point, the France midfielder had played - and started - 17 of the team’s 21 Ligue 1 matches, despite playing catch-up on arrival after a year out of action. OM won none of the other four matches. His form - especially taking that forced hiatus into account - has been nothing short of sensational.
Diarra has averaged 2.8 tackles and two interceptions per match and only collected three yellow cards. He also makes 3.2 dribbles per game, leading the way among the regular starters. As a ball carrier and distributor, Diarra is the side’s kingpin whether defending or bringing play forward, landing 87.7% of his passes.
OM still looked well organised for a large part of the evening, with Alaixys Romao stepping in next to Maurico Isla. Strongly linked with a move away during the window, he showed his worth, making four tackles and four interceptions, even if his slack marking allowed substitute Tolisso the room to level matters. It also was a tribute to the fact that Michel has - to little fanfare - found a system that works for his team on the road.
It almost gave rise to the ultimate smash-and-grab. It was glaring that at the moment when OL were starting to take a grip of the game, Marseille took the lead out of nothing, with Rémy Cabella burying his one chance in the sort of decisive manner that eluded the hosts. Later, moments after Tolisso’s equaliser, Michy Batshuayi was very close to giving OM the lead again after another quick turnover, having hit the post in the first half.
The Belgian might not have had one of his most explosive nights, but he again showed his versatility. His deft assist for Cabella was his 7th of the season, to add to his 12 goals. One wonders what Marseille might do without him if Premier League suitors follow up their interest post-Euros, as they surely will. Another exodus is set up with goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, the star man with 8.28 who kept OM in this game in the closing stages, and Nicolas Nkoulou, who made a vital seven interceptions, both out of contract at the end of the season.
OL tied down their finest last summer, but without a goalscorer to shoulder the burden from Lacazette, they too will be stuck adrift of their ambitions. In an entertaining game, both these teams with divergent trajectories highlighted exactly why they can’t get to where they want to go.
Do you think one of Lyon or Marseille can secure a Champions League finish in Ligue 1 this season? Let us know in the comments below
