One of the few teams to better Lens last season, Lyon would provide a better test of how les Sang et Or have progressed this year than most of their opponents so far.
With last season’s coach Rudi Garcia replaced by Peter Bosz and Memphis Depay leaving for Barcelona, this was a different challenge to the one Lyon posed last season though. Bosz was forced into his only change from the side that lost to Nice last week, with suspended Tino Kadewere replaced by Xherdan Shaqiri in their 4-2-3-1 formation.
Franck Haise continued with the same starting eleven that saw Lens emerge victorious against Metz last Sunday. Despite using the same line-up, there was a change of shape, with Florian Sotoca dropping back into midfield in a 3-5-2 formation. Lens started switching to a 3-5-2 against bigger teams at the tail end of last season to bolster their midfield, but this is the first time Sotoca, typically an attacker, has started there.
Lyon tried to press Lens but found little joy. Lucas Paqueta, Karl Toko Ekambi and Shaqiri pressured the back three, while Houssem Aouar picked up Cheick Doucouré and the two midfielders behind him lined up against Lens’. The away side found themselves able to play around this pressure with little issue though. Firstly, their defenders are simply very good in possession, enabling them to quickly evade or play around this pressure.
Secondly, the wing-backs were mostly left free. Léo Dubois would push forward on the right, but he wouldn’t risk straying too far from his backline, meaning Przemyslaw Frankowski typically had space to work in before Dubois got out to him. Emerson Palmieri on the opposite flank would remain with the centre-backs, essentially leaving Jonathan Clauss free on the right.
Thirdly, Seko Fofana would drop in next to Doucouré to help play out, meaning either a Lyon midfielder pushed forward to follow him, leaving space behind them, or Fofana was left free to pick up the ball and play out. Lyon’s midfielders were constantly being dragged forward to support the press of the attackers in front of them, leaving space between the lines for Sotoca to push forward into or Wesley Saïd to drop off into.
While Lyon’s defending wasn’t lining up on the pitch quite like how it did on paper, the opposite was also true: Lens were getting manipulated by Lyon. On paper, the midfield triangle lined up man-for-man with one another, however Aouar would regularly drift off towards the left, meaning Doucouré couldn’t follow him without leaving space for Paqueta to drop off into. As a result, Sotoca would have to move back to block off passes into Aouar, leaving Bruno Guimarães with space in midfield to receive the ball, turn out and pick out a pass.
Much like how the difference in shapes left Lens’ wing-backs free, they also left Lyon’s full-backs without a direct opponent. Typically Lens’ wing-backs will push forward to press the opposition full-backs, but they were reluctant to do so here, with Toko Ekambi and Shaqiri taking up very wide positions in attack. If Clauss and Frankowski went forward, then they were leaving Lyon’s wingers in space unless Jonathan Gradit and Facundo Medina came across to cover behind them, stretching the defence. Emerson and Dubois were therefore often left free, making it easy for Lyon to use them to play out, with Dubois also frequently tucking into midfield to help outnumber Lens in this area.
As the first half went on, Frankowski became more and more willing to move out and confront Dubois in midfield, with Medina comfortable covering for him at left-back, but it was hardly ideal, leaving Lens’ defence four-against-four.
Arnuad Kalimuendo and Saïd were also willing to move across and close down the full-backs, but this meant them leaving the centre, taking them away from positions where they could block passes into the midfield or press the centre-backs.
Lyon took the lead from a penalty. They won a throw-in in Lens’ half, then, with Frankowski unwilling to step out and leave Shaqiri, dragged Fofana across to close down Dubois, opening up space inside for Guimarães. The Brazilian burst forward, forcing Medina out to close him down, then ran into the box past the Argentinian defender, playing a one-two with Paqueta. In a panic to recover as Guimarães burst past him, Medina went to ground, failing to get the ball to concede a penalty that Toko Ekambi duly converted.
Shortly before half-time, they doubled their lead. This goal showed two of Lens’ defensive issues clearly. Aouar pulled wide, causing Sotoca to leave his marking duties on Maxence Caqueret to cut off the pass into Aouar, leaving Caqueret free in midfield. For once, Clauss decided to push forward to press Emerson, leaving it to Gradit to cover behind him. Emerson passed inside to the open Caqueret who bounced the ball wide to Toko Ekambi. Lyon were now four-against-four in attack, and that soon became four-against-three, when Toko Ekambi’s first time pass inside to Aouar took Gradit out of play. Toko Ekambi sprinted in behind Gradit, leaving Kevin Danso with both Toko Ekambi and Aouar running at him. As soon as Danso turned his hips to face Aouar rather than running with Toko Ekambi, Aouar poked the ball on to the Cameroonian, who shot first-time. Jean-Louis Leca saved that shot, but the rebound ball fell to Aouar to head home.
Haise made one change at half-time, replacing Sotoca with Gaël Kakuta, but they stuck with the 3-5-2.
With Lyon having four men up in attack, they were often caught ahead of the ball when they lost it, opening up opportunities for Lens on the counter.
In general, Lyon dropped off to defend their lead in the second half though, allowing Lens to come forward.
This cost them when Lens got a goal back. With Shaqiri pulled back to track Frankowski, Medina found himself with time and space in Lyon’s half, picking out a through ball. Kakuta drifted across towards it, drawing out Jérôme Boateng to meet him, but the Congolese dummied it, letting it run through to Kalimuendo and running into the space Boateng had left. Kalimuendo flicked the ball back for Kakuta to run onto, but, with Jason Denayer coming across to cover, Kakuta chose to return it to the striker, whose mishit shot looped over Anthony Lopes into the net.
Soon after Bosz removed Shaqiri for Thiago Mendes, switching to a 4-5-1 as Toko Ekambi switched out to the right and Aouar was moved out to the left wing. This gave Lyon greater defensive width in midfield while also plugging up the centre further.
Having already brought on Corentin Jean, Haise made a last throw of the dice by bringing on Charles Boli on the right in place of defender Gradit and adding Deiver Machado to offer real width on the left, however Lyon were able to hold out to claim the three points.
Haise’s changes backfired but in truth this was simply a very good gameplan from Bosz that likely would have exploited Lens’ usual set-up just as well. Lens put up a good fight but it was a well-deserved victory for Lyon.
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