Lens and Lyon settle for a draw – SO FOOT

Lens 1-1 Lyon

Goals: Clauss (13^and) for Racing // Kadewere (44^and) for Gones

The wind and rain caused by storm Eunice did not prevent the faithful seated in the stands from watching a real football match. About thirty kilometers from the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, where neither Lille nor Metz entertained on Friday evening at the opening of the 25^and day of Ligue 1, Lens and OL fought an intense and pleasant battle, without managing to decide between them (1-1). A draw that does not help either side, which could see the podium go away by Sunday evening and the competitors grab points in the race for Europe.

Connection issues and leapfrog

The two teams, reinvigorated by their successes last weekend, put on the warm-up blue in a Bollaert stadium full as an egg despite the weather conditions. There was not a shower of chances in the first period, but a lot of rhythm and animation for a very pleasant performance. High pressing, verticality and a gaping hole in the Rhone defense to let Kakuta serve Kalimuendo, who stumbled on Lopes before seeing Mendes, aligned in the central hinge, play leapfrog with his goalkeeper and leave the field open to Clauss to conclude in the empty goal (1-0, 13^and). An achievement validated despite major connection problems with the VAR, victim of the storm, while the Lensois striker was obviously not offside at the start of the action.

??? ?? ???? | 1⃣ – 1⃣ | #RCLOLIn this race for Europe, no winner between the @RCLens and the@OL ! Your opinion on this game? The goals of the match can be reviewed for free on the app #FreeLigue1 https://t.co/KiP2hgdzdh pic.twitter.com/3Uqcyz8Rhh

— Free Ligue 1 (@FreeLigue1) February 19, 2022

OL understood that the game would not be as simple as against Nice. This did not prevent the technicians of the band at Bosz from highlighting themselves: Caqueret, precious in the midfield, and Faivre, brilliant in his ball grips and clever on set pieces, tried to energize the Lyon game. The visitors could however have lost their heads if the referee had not refused the 2-0 to Fofana for an involuntary hand following a bad recovery from Mendes (35^and). After an initial alert from Paquetá, OL relied on Toko Ekambi, whose brilliant cross allowed Kadewere to score his first goal of the season at the far post (1-1, 44^and) and to get his head out of the water after a very complicated first act for Dembélé’s substitute.

Lopes, keeper of the Rhone point

Goals, two playful teams and a few shots given to spice up a decidedly exciting meeting, reminding us why Lens and Lyon are fighting in the same area of ​​the classification. After The Corons, Toko Ekambi, again, could have frozen Bollaert, but the Cameroonian international fell on a bone in the person of Fariñez. Between two injuries and gusts of wind, OL and Racing managed to put their well-oiled machines to the fore, without getting into a lot of dangerous situations. Kakuta took his chance from distance, while Sotoca scratched countless balls into Lyon’s feet, to the point of being brilliantly imitated by Medina in front of Faivre in the penalty area. It took until the last quarter of an hour for the best opportunities, Paquetá not converting Kadewere’s offering (76^and) and the Ndombele-Lopes duo preventing Lens from regaining the lead, the Portuguese in particular deflecting a praline from Fofana on the bar (80^and) before distinguishing himself again on an attempt by Da Costa. More dangerous at the end of the match, Lens will be content to stay one unit behind OL, 5^and very provisional and expected at home to challenge Lille next Sunday to complete a month of February as hellish as it is promising.

Lens (3-5-2): Fariñez – Wooh, Danso, Medina – Clauss (Frankowski, 90^and+1), Berg, Doucouré, Fofana, Haïdara – Kakuta (Da Costa, 72^and), Kalimuendo (Ganago, 85^and). Coach: Frank Haise.

Lyon (4-2-3-1): Lopes-Dubois (Gusto, 87^and), Mendes, Lukeba, Emerson – Caqueret, Ndombele – Faivre, Paquetá, Toko Ekambi – Kadewere (Aouar, 76^and). Coach: Peter Bosch.