How Lyon’s Stunning Comeback Could Lead to Europe in 2024: Pierre Sage’s Bold Prediction and Team’s Remarkable Transformation

“We can admit, if we manage to be in the first seven, without holding back in the final, that would perhaps allow us to play in Europe next year.”

Pierre Sage’s reaction Tuesday evening on beIN Sports, in the wake of Lyon’s qualification for the Coupe de France final, allows us to measure the progress made by OL since the evening of the 14th day. At that time, Lyon had seven points, six behind the first non-relegation team, and statistically had no chance of remaining in the elite at the end of the season.

“French football constantly lives beyond its means”

OL leader since the 20th day

Now 10th, Lyon is aiming for Europe via a possible victory in the Coupe de France… but also via the championship and a 7th place which could become a qualifier. This is one of the major lessons from reading the rankings since the start of 2024: Lyon is 4th, in other words qualifying for the Champions League if it had maintained this pace over the season. The Rhone club has even been leader of the championship since the 20th day.

Alexandre Lacazette and his teammates have won six matches in 2024, no one has done better. Paris, Rennes and Toulouse did just as well and TFC is the other team to have made a spectacular comeback. Play-offs on the evening of the winter break, the Violets have so far had the 6th best record of this return phase, which allowed them to move up to 11th place after 27 days.

Carles Martínez Novell’s men, who are the only ones not to have recorded a draw in 2024, notably benefited from the form of Vincent Sierro and Thijs Dallinga, six goals each, the same total as Kylian Mbappé, Martin Terrier , Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over the period. Only Jonathan David does better (10).

“A form of mental submission”: OM-PSG, the ascendancy which hurts the L1

Nice, the free kick

We will also note the good year of Rennes, 2nd in 2024 with two points less than PSG, which remains very regular. The Ile-de-France club is the only undefeated one – and has not lost any of its last 22 Ligue 1 matches – and has the best attack (22 goals). In terms of consistency, Brest is also a model student with a 3rd place in 2024 after a 4th place during the first part of the season, and on arrival a runner-up position after 27 days. In the five major European championships, only Arsenal (4) has done better than its five goals conceded since the start of the year.

However, it was Nice that we were talking about when citing the best defenses of the Old Continent during the first leg. A solidity which allowed him to finish 2023 in the place of runner-up to PSG, only five lengths behind. But the Gym is having a very, very laborious calendar year, with already six defeats in 2024, a total that they had reached in… 36 matches in 2023. The Aiglons are thus only one setback away from having so many defeats in championship in 2024 than over the whole of last year.

Francesco Farioli’s team is thus a barrier in the return phase, with a small point more than Metz, last. 17th over the period, Le Havre is therefore logically approaching the red zone in the actual ranking. Red lantern before this 28th day, Clermont presents a more honorable 15th record of the return phase… but the worst defense, with 20 goals conceded. So many teams who have seven days to save their skins.

The ranking at the winter break (after 17 days) The ranking in 2024 (10 matches played)1. PSG (40 points)1. PSG (22 points)2. Nice (35 pts)2. Rennes (20 pts)3. Monaco (33 pts)3. Brest (19 pts)4. Brest (31 pts)4. Lyon (19 pts)5. Lille (28 pts)5. Lille (18 pts)6. Marseille (27 pts)6. Toulouse (18 pts)7. Lens (26 pts)7. Monaco (16 pts)8. Reims (26 pts)8. Lens (16 pts)9. Strasbourg (23 pts)9. Lorient (14 pts)10. Rennes (19 pts)10. Reims (13 pts)11. Le Havre (19 pts)11. Marseille (12 pts)12. Montpellier (18 pts)12. Montpellier (10 pts)13. Nantes (18 pts)13. Nantes (10 pts)14. Metz (16 pts)14. Strasbourg (9 pts)15. Lyon (16 pts)15. Clermont (9 pts)16. Toulouse (14 pts)16. Nice (8 pts)17. Lorient (12 pts)17. Le Havre (8 pts)18. Clermont (11 pts)18. Metz (7 pts)
2024-04-05 00:57:27
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