Just thirty days ago, Lyon was the talk of the town in the Top 5 European leagues. At one time, the seven-time consecutive champion of France flirted with the relegation zone for the most part of the season, and since at the very end of the January transfer window, they strengthened with several excellent players and completely changed their appearance. The arrivals of Nemanja Matić, Said Benrahma, Gift Orban, Orel Mangala made the Lions a team worthy of the first half of League 1, and after the fifth consecutive triumph, they finally got there.Pierre Sage’s team triumphed on the road to Metz 2:1 (1:1), but the beginning of the game did not indicate that they would continue their winning streak. Georgian striker George Mikautadze started scoring goals again since he returned from Ajax on loan, and he put the hosts in the lead in the 13th minute. In the last moments of the first half, Olympique equalized with another goal by Alexandre Lacazette, and West Ham’s acquisition Said Benrahma in the 60th minute brought victory to the guests.Benrahma goal for Lyon ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/fK94R9NeAP— paquetaszn (@ezzfitch) February 23, 2024 At the St. Symphorian Stadium, several players who were quite pale during the first part of the season now shone. George Mikautadze arrived in Ajax the previous summer for compensation of 14,000,000 euros and turned out to be one of the biggest transfer failures in the club’s history. In nine games in Amsterdam, the 23-year-old centre-forward did not score a single goal and then returned to Metz on loan until the end of the season. The Georgian started again, as in the manner of the previous season, he started to score again and after the goal in Lorient, he managed to shake the net against Lyon as well. He took advantage of a mistake by the guests’ back line, strolled past Jack O’Brien and beat Antonio Lopez.Mangala: I knew Matic from television and PlayStationLyon scored the equalizing goal by accident. Angolan Clinton Mata shot sloppily from about 20 meters, and how badly he did it is best reflected by the fact that the ball barely reached the space seven or eight meters from the goal. Lacazette blocked it and scored the equalizer in the last moments of the first half. Olympique was more lucky than smart and when they scored the winning goal, as the Metz goalkeeper saved Maxens Kakere’s shot, it bounced back to the midfielder, who at the last moment assisted the lone Benrahma about 12.13 meters from the goal. Lyon is now finally in the first half of the table, and Metz is penultimate and sinking deeper and deeper towards Ligue 2.LIGUE 1FridayMetz – Olympique Lyon 1-2 (1-1)/Mikautadze – Lacazette 45+1, Benrahma 60/Saturday19.00: (2.55) Lorient (3.20) Nantes (2.85)23.00: (3.10) Strasbourg (3.25) Brest (2.55)Sunday15.00: (2.50) Lens (3.50) Monaco (2.95)17.00: (1.50) Nice (4.20) Clermont (8.00)17.00: (4.30) Toulouse (3.60) Lille (1.95)17.00: (3.15) Le Havre (3.35) Reims (2.45)19.05: (1.48) PSG (4.40) Rennes (6.75)22.45: (1.75) Olympique Marseille (3.70) Montpellier (5.40)***odds are subject to change
