The past week has seen the end of Lille’s European adventure, with the French league leaders crashing out of the Europa League on Thursday courtesy of a 3-1 defeat at Dutch table-toppers PSV Eindhoven. Although leading 0-1 at half-time, Lille conceded shortly after the break, and following the dismissal of their goalscorer Pierre-Alain Frau collapsed entirely.
Although Rudi Garcia indicated that the Europa League was not his top priority by starting Eden Hazard, Gervinho and Moussa Sow on the bench, the Lille manager now has the responsibility of boosting his team’s fragile morale ahead of Sunday’s encounter.
Thursday’s match was the latest in a string of worrying results for Lille, who have won only one out of their last five matches in all competitions. Last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Montpellier HSC has seen Lille’s lead at the top of Ligue 1 drastically reduced, with Stade Rennes lurking a mere two points behind.
In response to his team’s loss to Montpellier, Rudi Garcia was swift to emphasize the significance of Sunday’s upcoming clash in view of the title, and to impress the need for improvement upon his players.
“Given our performance, we didn’t deserve a result”, Garcia admitted to AFP earlier in the week. “We did a lot of very average things but it’s not like we need to throw in the towel. We just need to knuckle down and get focused.
“We didn’t show the kind of desire that a side on top of the table has, the kind of side that does anything to get the points. Now we absolutely have to bounce back in the league against Lyon on Sunday."
As only four points separate first and fifth position, anything but a win against Olympique Lyonnais could send les Dogues into third place, leaving them in a precarious position ahead of potentially dangerous visits to Olympique de Marseille, Stade Brestois and FC Lorient.
An Opportune Moment
It will be a confident Olympique Lyonnais side that travels to the Stade Lille-Metropole on Sunday. Having outplayed Real Madrid for the first half of their Champions League last-16 encounter at the Stade Gerland on Tuesday, les Gones might consider themselves unlucky to take only a 1-1 draw to the Bernabeu in three weeks’ time.
Nonetheless, their incisive play and the resilience they displayed following Karim Benzema’s opening goal will no doubt provide encouragement for not only the away leg in Madrid, but also in their quest for the Ligue 1 title.
Speaking to UEFA.com after the match, manager Claude Puel praised his side’s efforts and stated, “We produced a great game, a real spectacle. They made the most of Karim coming on to score. After that we started to play our own game again and we finished very strongly to get the equaliser.
“It’s a pity we missed opportunities, especially in the first half. Our final pass wasn’t clinical enough. We deserved more because we gave our all. The scoreline is not satisfying but the performance was good.”
Lyon’s domestic form of late is equally impressive, with their only defeat in seventeen Ligue 1 matches coming at Valenciennes last month. Both their 1-4 away win in the Rhône derby and last Friday’s 4-0 victory over Nancy have been free-scoring displays, and against an attacking Lille side, this may prove timely. Currently in fourth position, a win could take les Gones into second, just one point behind their hosts.
And it is clear that the players are equally focused on the Ligue 1 title. “We are now in a positive phase”, playmaker Yoann Gourcuff told UEFA.com. “We know that we’re well positioned in the league.
"But the pace is very high at the top. The top five teams are not wasting many points, and are playing well. So far we’re trying to stay focused on the league, and still be amongst the top teams, in order to achieve our objectives.”
TEAM NEWS
Lille
Les Dogues have no pressing injury concerns, and it is likely that Rudi Garcia will have a full complement of players at his disposal.
Lyon
Only Lisandro Lopez is doubtful after picking up a hamstring injury in training last week.
Prediction
With both teams aware of the significance of this encounter, it is likely to be a measured affair. Although three places behind their hosts in the Ligue 1 table, Lyon will be encouraged by their 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture, and in light of Lille’s recent form, should claim another victory against their northern rivals.
Lille 1-2 O. Lyon 
