A gala poster to start a decisive straight line. This Sunday, Olympique Lyonnais has the formidable honor of challenging the Parisian champion of France, in what is normally one of the highlights of the season. But this year, the Lyonnais could already have their eyes turned to the continuation and the quarter-final of the Coupe de France on Wednesday against OM. "Before thinking of Marseille, all the players are already focused on the match against Paris," replied Rudi Garcia, questioned on this subject Friday at a press conference. We are going to sell our skin very dearly ”.
Still, the match against Marseille will mark the start of an insane schedule for the Gones. Lyon is with Paris the only Ligue 1 team to be still engaged in four competitions and will have to spare its troops to face all these challenges. Over the next 27 days, OL will have to play no less than seven games with the Ligue 1 program, the quarter-final of the Coupe de France against OM, without forgetting the prestigious Champions League match against Juventus Turin at the end of February. A crazy calendar, to which must be added on April 4 the final of the League Cup against ... PSG.
Time to silence critics for Garcia
The meeting on Sunday evening could therefore have a perfect dress rehearsal before what will be both the last match in the history of the League Cup, and also probably the best chance for Lyon to clinch a trophy this season. But after the draw conceded against Amiens last weekend (0-0) and the defeat in Nice on Tuesday (2-1), Lyon also and above all sorely needs points so as not to be taken down in the standings. The club is currently sixth, seven points behind LOSC, the third and final qualifier for the Champions League. "We would be well advised to return at least with a draw from Paris" conceded Rudi Garcia on Wednesday. He will be able to count for this match on the returns of Rafael and Marçal, suspended during the last meeting. Two players who will not be too many in a squad that will turn a lot in the next games.
When Rudi Garcia was appointed, OL were 4 points behind OM.
Today he is 13 points behind.
This calendar is also an opportunity for Rudi Garcia, much criticized since his arrival at the club in October 2019, to show all his qualities as a manager. L'Equipe journalist Vincent Duluc recalled this week on Twitter that OL were 4 points behind OM when Garcia was appointed in October, and that the Rhodanians are now thirteen points behind their Wednesday's opponents. A statistic that shows only part of the truth (OM remains on a good series of twelve consecutive matches without defeat in Ligue 1), but is a reflection of the difficulties experienced by Lyonnais to fight with the best. In a thrilling end of season, the Gones will have multiple opportunities to prove the opposite. And it starts tomorrow against PSG.
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