In difficulty after a good start to the season, Olympique Lyonnais do not have enough guarantees to settle at the top of the table in Ligue 1. Their attacking trio represents one of their main assets, of which coach Peter Bosz will have hard to get by.
The analysis was predictable as soon as the transfer market closed. Following the departure of Lucas Paqueta to West Ham, Olympique Lyonnais, who decided not to compensate for this loss, could expect to suffer from a lack of attacking creativity. The start of the Les Gones season only confirmed this flaw, which was sometimes offset by individualities. Indeed, coach Peter Bosz can rely on a hitherto decisive trio. We are of course talking about center forward Alexandre Lacazette and wingers Tetê and Karl Toko Ekambi.
75% of the goals scored!
It’s no coincidence that these three untouchables have started every game since the start of the season. Even when the Dutch coach went to 4-4-2 against Paris Saint-Germain (0-1 defeat), his three attackers were present. It must be said that this trio alone represents 12 of the 16 goals scored by Olympique Lyonnais this season (75%). Only Nicolas Tagliafico, Castello Lukeba and Moussa Dembélé twice completed the list of scorers after eight league matches.
Note that none of the three starting strikers scored in Reims (1-1) and against Paris Saint-Germain, for two games not won. These failures could have prompted Peter Bosz to use his alternatives. But we have to believe that the young Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola do not offer him the same guarantees. No more than Moussa Dembélé or the versatile Houssem Aouar. It remains to be seen what the consequences would be if one or more of the technician’s base men were not available. For the moment, the case has not arisen and everyone has time to recover thanks to the absence of European competition.