Ligue 1 sometimes has the gift of surprising and offering crazy matches. The proof with this Lyon-Montpellier on Sunday at the end of the afternoon. A meeting with multiple twists, where OL opened the scoring before sinking, resurrecting and even snatching a crucial victory in the race for Europe after stoppage time. We tell you about this anthology match marked by two quadruplets.
40th-55th: Elye Wahi’s incredible quadruple
OL lead 1-0 on their home turf, thanks to the opener by their centre-forward and captain Alexandre Lacazette (1-0, 31st minute). But the Hérault reaction was not long in coming. And takes the form of a hurricane named Elye Wahi. The young 20-year-old Hérault striker first scored twice in 100 seconds at the end of the first period to put his team in the lead at the break. Before two new achievements to bring his total to 17 and become the first Montpellier player to score a quadruple in the history of Ligue 1.
60th-82nd: OL come back from hell
Lyon seems sunk. Groggy, in front of supporters already disappointed by an average season. “I saw people leave the stadium,” Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes told Canal + after the match. But OL are not going to give up. And will pick up thanks to two new goals from his boss Alexandre Lacazette (60th, 82nd) and another from his central defender Dejan Lovren (70th), back in the winter transfer window. 4-4, less than ten minutes from regulation time, the already electric match becomes quite simply historic.
90th + 10: Lacazette gives the victory on penalty
Lyon is pushing, seems to be badly negotiating or harvesting its attacks in added time. But at the end of these extra minutes, referee Bastien Dechepy was called by the VAR after a collision in the Hérault penalty area. Replays show that Montpellier defender Christopher Jullien catches Alexandre Lacazette. This prompted the man with the whistle to award a penalty to the Lyonnais, to the delight of Groupama Stadium.
“I think he made the right decision, but still had to put it after,” slips the ex-Arsenal player at the microphone of the encrypted channel. What he achieved brilliantly, for the first quadruple of his career, an unprecedented performance for a Lyonnais since Bernard Lacombe on January 26, 1975. Over the past 75 years, this is only the second time that the two teams see one of their players score four goals. The first was during a Reims-Monaco (8-4) in 1974. Carlos Bianchi (Reims) had scored five goals there, against four for Delio Onnis (Monaco).
With these four achievements, Lacazette overtakes Kylian Mbappé in the scoring charts (24 against 23) before PSG’s trip to Troyes in the evening.
“We are lucky to have an extraordinary player with us, everyone realizes the importance he has this season,” said Anthony Lopes. His penalty recalls that of his coach Laurent Blanc in August 1998, during another historic comeback suffered by Montpellier, this time against OM. Thanks to this success, his men are three points closer to Lille, fifth and first qualified for Europe. And offer very nice memories.
