Tops
Still accustomed to Ligue 2 matches last season, Le Havre supporters are enjoying themselves over the weeks this year. Lensois (0-0) and Monegasques (0-0) can attest to this, they who came to break their teeth in Normandy. OGC Nice, second in the championship, even lost on the Le Havre pitch in the first part of the season (3-1). This evening, Stade Océane experienced a new prestigious success, offering itself a Lyon team which seemed to be doing better in recent weeks. A venue which could well get used to this kind of performance, and which is now capable of frightening all Ligue 1 teams.
Arriving in Le Havre during the 2022-2023 season, corresponding to the rise of the HAC in the elite of French football, Christopher Opéri therefore discovered, like many of his teammates, Ligue 1. Against Lyon, he for the first time shakes the opposing nets in the French championship. And how ! Served on the left side, he first hooked inwards to get closer to the surface, before unleashing a perfectly placed shot which lobbed Anthony Lopes. A goal which came to sublimate 97 minutes of high quality, during which his defensive slaughter was up to the height of his rides to bring danger into the Lyon camp. The full-back will remember this evening for a long time.
Despite the defeat, one man once again proved decisive at the Stade Océane for Les Gones. Alexandre Lacazette, established at the forefront of the attack, once again found a way to shake the net. Author of only three goals in nine matches before the arrival of Pierre Sage on the bench, he has since regained his effectiveness. Since then, the “general” has scored five goals in six matches. In a meeting that he mostly spent isolated from the support of the other attackers, his technical range triggered the majority of his team’s rare offensives. His talent will be invaluable in avoiding relegation for his favorite club.
Flops
In recent weeks, everything seemed to be going well between Rhône and Saône. A clear and structured organization chart, interesting recruits, and, above all, a series of three championship victories, four in all competitions. But on Sunday evening, OL showed that they were still deeply ill, with Le Havre a cruel reminder of the reality of the ranking. Fifteenth before the meeting, Lyon is now sixteenth and occupies the play-off place. The Textor club also saw its direct opponents take points. This season, OL are not battling with Nice and Monaco. But with Clermont and Lorient.
The Olympique Lyonnais matches had many scenarios in store for us this season, but this one was unprecedented. O’Brien, who had a very complicated start to the match, received the first red card of the match in the 28th minute for a sole committed in the central circle. Mr. Angoula cracked down for the first time… before doing it again at the end of the match. Caleta-Car, probably feeling neglected, decided to join his teammate in the locker room before the end of the match. Guilty of a murderous tackle on Alioui, he was logically excluded altogether. OL finished the match nine against eleven, miraculously not conceding a fourth goal.
