Still without a win this season and having just sold Bradley Barcola to Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Lyonnais are under pressure as they prepare to welcome the reigning champions to the Groupama Stadium for the big match in Round 4.
Olympique Lyonnais – Paris Saint-Germain Sunday at 20:45 CET (1845 GMT)
>> LIVE SCORING, STATS AND COMMENTARY
It has been a terrible start to the season for Lyon, who lost their opening two games against RC Strasbourg Alsace and Montpellier Hérault SC and then drew 0-0 away to OGC Nice last weekend in a game desperately lacking in goalmouth incident. With just one point on the board after three outings, this has been OL’s worst start to a season since 1992.
After a turbulent summer off the pitch, what coach Laurent Blanc would really have wanted this week in the build-up to a home clash with the champions was a bit of calm around the club. However, the crisis off the field at Lyon is arguably greater than that on it.
A bitter feud has broken out between former president Jean-Michel Aulas and new owner John Textor, just at the time Lyon need to focus their energy on strengthening the squad for an attempted climb up the table.
Financial difficulties have so far prevented the seven-time champions from making all the signings Blanc wanted, and on Thursday another talented youngster departed the Groupama Stadium with Barcola making the move to Paris. Barcola, who turns 21 on Saturday, enjoyed an impressive breakthrough campaign at Lyon last season and has now joined on a five-year deal for a fee of €45 million plus a possible five million more in bonuses.
“I am really happy and proud to be joining such a great club,” Barcola said after arriving in Paris.
‘Enough to worry about’
“It does not help at all in terms of having a relaxed atmosphere around the club, but we have enough to worry about on the pitch,” Blanc told reporters on Friday when asked about the off-field issues at OL.
“We have injured players who are taking time to recover. We have started the season very, very badly, we can’t pretend to claim otherwise. We took a point against Nice but the performance was not reassuring. Paris are not the best team to play if you want to get back on track, but maybe this will be the ideal game for us in front of our own fans.”
Lyon are again without talismanic striker Alexandre Lacazette due to suspension but Blanc was hopeful that goalkeeper Anthony Lopes could make his first appearance of the season after injury.
PSG are fresh from claiming their first win of the campaign last weekend, when Kylian Mbappé marked his return to the starting line-up with a brace in a 3-1 defeat of RC Lens. Coach Luis Enrique has now seen his attacking options further boosted and confidence is growing in the capital.
New signings
“This could be really difficult, given the individual talent they have and the cohesion in their team,” admitted Blanc, who coached PSG from 2013 to 2016.
“They can do real damage, but we also need to sort out our problems. We are motivated, fully focused on this game. We must not be afraid to want to play football. I am pleased with how our week has gone, everything has been better than the preceding weeks. We must not be afraid of this game. We can’t just sit back and defend if we want to get a result.”
Swedish forward Amin Sarr has left Lyon to sign for VfL Wolfsburg on loan, but Blanc has seen new faces arrive in attack.
Nineteen-year-old winger Ernest Nuamah has signed on loan from RWD Molenbeek after the Belgian club, also owned by Textor, bought the Ghanaian prospect from Nordsjaelland. Nuamah scored 15 goals in 34 games last season for the Danish side. Also coming in is Mama Baldé, with the Guinea-Bissau forward joining from ESTAC Troyes on a season-long loan for a fee of €2 million. Lyon then have an opton to sign Baldé permanently for €6 million plus €500,000 in possible bonuses.
Possible teams
Lyon: Lopes (or Riou); Mata, Ćaleta-Car, Diomandé, Tagliafico ; Lepenant, Tolisso (c) ; Cherki, Caqueret, Nuamah; Baldé
Paris SG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos (c), Škriniar, Hernandez; Zaïre-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembélé, Asensio, Mbappé
>> NEWS: Lacazette still out suspended
Still without a win this season and having just sold Bradley Barcola to Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Lyonnais are under pressure as they prepare to welcome the reigning champions to the Groupama Stadium for the big match in Round 4.
Olympique Lyonnais – Paris Saint-Germain Sunday at 20:45 CET (1845 GMT)
>> LIVE SCORING, STATS AND COMMENTARY
It has been a terrible start to the season for Lyon, who lost their opening two games against RC Strasbourg Alsace and Montpellier Hérault SC and then drew 0-0 away to OGC Nice last weekend in a game desperately lacking in goalmouth incident. With just one point on the board after three outings, this has been OL’s worst start to a season since 1992.
After a turbulent summer off the pitch, what coach Laurent Blanc would really have wanted this week in the build-up to a home clash with the champions was a bit of calm around the club. However, the crisis off the field at Lyon is arguably greater than that on it.
A bitter feud has broken out between former president Jean-Michel Aulas and new owner John Textor, just at the time Lyon need to focus their energy on strengthening the squad for an attempted climb up the table.
Financial difficulties have so far prevented the seven-time champions from making all the signings Blanc wanted, and on Thursday another talented youngster departed the Groupama Stadium with Barcola making the move to Paris. Barcola, who turns 21 on Saturday, enjoyed an impressive breakthrough campaign at Lyon last season and has now joined on a five-year deal for a fee of €45 million plus a possible five million more in bonuses.
“I am really happy and proud to be joining such a great club,” Barcola said after arriving in Paris.
‘Enough to worry about’
“It does not help at all in terms of having a relaxed atmosphere around the club, but we have enough to worry about on the pitch,” Blanc told reporters on Friday when asked about the off-field issues at OL.
“We have injured players who are taking time to recover. We have started the season very, very badly, we can’t pretend to claim otherwise. We took a point against Nice but the performance was not reassuring. Paris are not the best team to play if you want to get back on track, but maybe this will be the ideal game for us in front of our own fans.”
Lyon are again without talismanic striker Alexandre Lacazette due to suspension but Blanc was hopeful that goalkeeper Anthony Lopes could make his first appearance of the season after injury.
PSG are fresh from claiming their first win of the campaign last weekend, when Kylian Mbappé marked his return to the starting line-up with a brace in a 3-1 defeat of RC Lens. Coach Luis Enrique has now seen his attacking options further boosted and confidence is growing in the capital.
New signings
“This could be really difficult, given the individual talent they have and the cohesion in their team,” admitted Blanc, who coached PSG from 2013 to 2016.
“They can do real damage, but we also need to sort out our problems. We are motivated, fully focused on this game. We must not be afraid to want to play football. I am pleased with how our week has gone, everything has been better than the preceding weeks. We must not be afraid of this game. We can’t just sit back and defend if we want to get a result.”
Swedish forward Amin Sarr has left Lyon to sign for VfL Wolfsburg on loan, but Blanc has seen new faces arrive in attack.
Nineteen-year-old winger Ernest Nuamah has signed on loan from RWD Molenbeek after the Belgian club, also owned by Textor, bought the Ghanaian prospect from Nordsjaelland. Nuamah scored 15 goals in 34 games last season for the Danish side. Also coming in is Mama Baldé, with the Guinea-Bissau forward joining from ESTAC Troyes on a season-long loan for a fee of €2 million. Lyon then have an opton to sign Baldé permanently for €6 million plus €500,000 in possible bonuses.
Possible teams
Lyon: Lopes (or Riou); Mata, Ćaleta-Car, Diomandé, Tagliafico ; Lepenant, Tolisso (c) ; Cherki, Caqueret, Nuamah; Baldé
Paris SG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos (c), Škriniar, Hernandez; Zaïre-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembélé, Asensio, Mbappé
>> NEWS: Lacazette still out suspended