In a very fragmented match between two teams lacking confidence, Olympique Lyonnais secured a home victory against OGC Nice (2-1).
At kickoff, Patrick Vieira decided to field the same team that played against Bordeaux with two exceptions. Burner replaced the suspended Atal, and Boudaoui made his first start in Ligue 1, replacing Danilo in midfield.
OL was able to take control of the match right from the start and quickly pulled ahead thanks to Jeff Reine-Adélaïde (10th minute). After an avoidable loss of possession by Boudaoui in midfield, and a poor clearance by Dante following a shot from Martin Terrier, Adélaïde beat Benitez with a precise strike at the near post.
In the 28th minute, a poor back pass from N’Soki to Dante allowed Dembélé to break into the box and earn a penalty, caused by Christophe Hérelle. In the intense fog caused by the use of smoke flares by Lyon supporters, Moussa Dembélé managed to secure the lead for his team by sending Benitez the wrong way.
But an incident would completely change the course of the match. Indeed, OL found themselves down to 10 men in the 34th minute after Marçal was sent off for a studs-up tackle to Boudaoui’s face.
The remainder of the match favored the Nice side, who created numerous opportunities, often through the very active Adam Ounas. However, a marginal offside that annulled Dolberg’s goal, and a header skimming the post by Dante, prevented the Gym from making a comeback.
In the second half, the Gym camped in the Lyon half, and it wasn’t until the 78th minute that Dolberg was able to convert a good cross from Burner, allowing Nice to close the gap.
However, this response came too late, and the Nice players were unable to equalize. Worse still, they saw Patrick Burner sent off for a second yellow card late in the match.
OGC Nice left the Groupama Stadium empty-handed and sank into the bottom of the Ligue 1 standings. They will need to bounce back next Saturday against Angers at the Allianz Riviera.
