“A derby cannot be played, it is won”. Both teams played it and no one won. The Greens remain red lanterns but can feed hopes of maintenance after a superb match in which they looked their neighbors eye to eye. “I’m happy with my players who have been rewarded for their stubbornness,” said Claude Puel, the Saint-Etienne coach, after the meeting. “We were throughout the match at the level of a very good Lyon team. This is a very important point against a very good opponent. “
What would have happened to this 123rd derby if Wahbi Khazri had not missed the inevitable by sending his head at close range on the right post of Anthony Lopes (9th)? Opposite, Etienne Green, mounted on springs, had to highlight his relaxation on two attempts by Houssem Aouar (18th, 36th).
Despite a weather worthy of Paris-Roubaix, the show was there on an almost perfect lawn. Frankly exciting, the first period led to a host of opportunities and goals refused by the VAR for microscopic offside (2 for OL, 1 for ASSE). So much so that we began to wonder by what miracle these first 45 minutes would end in a goalless draw when Lyon took the lead (41st). A goal signed Aouar after a preparatory work by Paqueta, equipped with a Brazilian technique and an Argentinian grinta. Author of his second achievement of the week and a full match, Aouar seems to have started his season for good.
Lopes expelled
ASSE will have to wait at least for his trip to Strasbourg in a fortnight to be sure to say the same. If Claude Puel’s players have still not won after a quarter of the championship, they have shown that they have the capabilities. Their home crowd, formidable from start to finish, helped them get back into the game in the second half. Bouanga first had the equalizer at the end of the crampons but had come up against a fantastic exit from Lopes (56th). Also on the parade on a direct corner from Boudebouz (67th), the Portuguese was heading for the perfect evening when he was guilty of a hand fault outside his area against Bouanga.
Logically expelled for the first time in his career (74th), the goalkeeper left his to ten. Entered in place of Shaqiri, his replacement Pollersbeck was immediately saved by his crossbar on a recovery from Dourna-Douath (77th). For his first in Ligue 1, the German first ran the shop, especially on a distant attempt by Youssouf (79th). But he finally had to bow on a penalty from Khazri (95th), following a hand from Denayer. A draw with the appearance of victory for ASSE. Not for the Lyonnais. OL coach Peter Bosz readily agreed after the match: “We missed too many chances in the first half. We lost two points. “
