Olympique Lyonnais, who lost 2-0 against Paris Saint-Germain last Monday, are preparing to host SCO Angers on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. at Groupama Stadium. Having fallen back to fifth place in the standings, Les Gones are looking to get back on track with victory against Angevins, 14th, in order to stay at the top of the table.
Since the start of the season, Lyon has shown good form, but the defeat against PSG ended their leadership and reduced their lead to three points. Lyon have won just one of their last three Ligue 1 games, and a heavy 3-0 loss to Hoffenheim in the Europa League exposed offensive weaknesses. The return home could, however, help them regain confidence, notably thanks to their invincibility at home this season and their solid performance against OGC Nice (2-1).
The staffing table is, however, complicated. The absence of Pavel Sulc and Loïs Openda, as well as uncertainties surrounding Corentin Tolisso, Tyler Morton and Mads Bidstrup, limit Paulo Fonseca's offensive options. On the other hand, the return of Keito Nakamura, who served his suspension, offers a new source of creativity. The Lyonnais will have to be more efficient in the last thirty meters to transform their chances into goals.
Angers, for its part, is in 14th place with only eight points after eight days. The club has had a difficult period, having not won a match since September 19. Two heavy defeats, 5-1 against Stade Brestois and 2-5 against OM, highlighted defensive weaknesses, with ten goals conceded in two matches. The 0-0 against FC Lorient, however, showed that a five-man defense can be effective. Stéphane Gilli plans to keep this compact organization to limit spaces and take advantage of Lyon's mistakes.
Anthony Lopes, former OL goalkeeper, will return to Groupama Stadium, which could be decisive if the Lyonnais create chances. Angers will also have to deal with the absence of Bane Diatta and the uncertainty of Amine El Ouazzani, which could reduce their offensive options. A point in Lyon would already be a good operation for the Angevins in their fight to maintain.
Historically, OL dominates confrontations with Angers, particularly at home where the Angevins have never won and have not scored a goal in the last three meetings. However, Lyon's current form and Angers' offensive weakness suggest that Les Gones will look to take advantage of the situation to secure all three points and maintain their position at the top of the table.