Ligue 1 – Porto – OL – Peter Bosz: “We will have to play better next week”

It was the last rehearsal before the big concert. And unfortunately for OL, it has sometimes sounded wrong. Beaten by Porto (5-3) this Saturday evening, the Gones, who start their Ligue 1 season next Saturday against Brest, leave with (a lot) of doubts and (a little) of fears. Not that the score delivered is entirely to be thrown in the trash, since certain principles of the new trainer are indeed visible. But between careless mistakes, recovery errors and loss of balls in sensitive areas, the Lyonnais do not yet seem ready to assume them all.

Bosz is not worried

Admittedly, OL scored a lot during their six pre-season matches with 18 goals on the clock. But the Gones have also cashed, twelve in total including ten over the last three meetings. Too much. So, would the Lyon ship lean too far forward? “We will have to play better next week in Ligue 1. There were a lot of changes at the end of the game. Most important were the first 70 minutes. We conceded too many goals with recovery errors“, regretted Peter Bosz shortly after the final whistle.

The Dutch coach therefore has many lessons to learn from his Portuguese tour. There were certainly two defeats (against Sporting CP and Porto), but OL also produced very nice offensive movements and showed formidable efficiency in the opposing box. Here is the glass half full. “We played better than last week. We worked well on this preparation“, assured the coach of OL, not really worried after this new setback.

Cornet, three assists but …

Aligned at the position of left side, Maxwel Cornet, he was very active. With three assists, he clearly presents himself as a credible alternative for his coach, who had already tried the options Henrique and Koné in this corridor. However, one (big) downside: defensive wanderings. Suffice to say a problem when you play a defender. Cornet, which notably caused a penalty, also suffered its opposite. For Bosz, the site remains open. On the right, the young Malo Gusto has an interesting profile but was still a little too tender. Léo Dubois, who replaced him, was not really more convincing, however. Fragile but practically neglected, Marcelo can have more than one excuse. After their exit (73rd), OL also conceded … three goals.

In front, Rayan Cherki raised the tone this Saturday evening after half-hearted performances. In legs, the number 18, who played more for others than for him, scored points this Saturday night. Houssem Aouar, he gives the impression of quietly increasing in power. Karl Toko Ekambi and Moussa Dembélé, them, were not really in sight. The return of Lucas Paqueta, still on vacation, is certainly eagerly awaited by the Lyon staff. In Bosz’s 4-3-3, the Brazilian could play a more than crucial role in the transitions. Jason Denayer, sick and absent against Porto, will aim to stabilize his team on his return. Not really the easiest of missions. But with him on the ground, however, it promises to be simpler. The balance of OL goes through this.