The black beard has thickened, the naive smile has given way to a more severe look and the haircut has lost its extravagance. In twelve years, Alexandre Lacazette's face has matured. 2012 was the year of his emergence at Olympique Lyonnais, and especially the year of his training club's last trophy. The Coupe de France, the one that OL hopes to win again provided, first, that they overcome the Valenciennes obstacle in the semi-final on Tuesday (8:45 p.m.).
To discover
Coupe de France: schedule and results
From this distant joy, there remain memories and two men still at the club: Anthony Lopes, zero professional matches at the time, and Lacazette, who had time to become a star of the club, to win a few cups at Arsenal then to return to Lyon like a lord (65 matches and 45 goals since 2022). It is largely with its now captain that OL got back on track during the season.
“A lot of people buried us in December
,” Lacazette recalled at a press conference on Sunday.
OL
“come back from a very long way”
, underlines Lacazette
Lyon was bottom of Ligue 1 after fifteen days, and was still surviving in the red zone after nineteen days, at the end of January.
“If we go back to the evening of OM
(3-0 defeat on December 6)
, with the statistics which say that no one has remained with 7 points after 14 days…”
, remembered Pierre Sage. The 44-year-old coach has worked in amateur football for a long time, and had never been the No. 1 of a professional team before his appointment at the beginning of December.
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Under his leadership, OL have won 9 of their last 13 matches in Ligue 1 and are nine points ahead of Lorient, 16th and a barrier for maintenance. In addition to providing the essentials in the championship, the Rhone club treats itself to a treat with the Coupe de France. He eliminated the modest teams of Pontarlier (0-3) and Bergerac (1-2), then surpassed Lille (2-1) and Strasbourg (0-0, 4-3 on penalties).
“We’re happy to be here but it’s not over. We want to go to the final to validate everything we have experienced this season because we have come a long way
,” said Lacazette.
Valenciennes is a trap
As paradoxical as it may seem, given the nightmare that was Lyon's first part of the season, it is difficult for Sage's players not to get lost in optimism. OL receive the bottom of Ligue 2 on Tuesday. Valenciennes has only won 2 matches out of 30 in the league. Unless there is a miracle, the VAFC will be relegated to the National.
“This team only has one thing to experience this season and that is what they will experience on Tuesday
,” warned Sage. Even in the event of victory, there will be a final step to climb, in the final on May 25, against PSG or Rennes. Lyon is not there. The last few years have proven that he should not see himself as more beautiful than he is. That doesn't stop him from dreaming of a title to, as Sage wished,
"validate this half-season which could be historic"
.