What to expect from Lyon on Sunday

Lyon head to north London on Sunday afternoon looking to claim the Emirates Cup for the second time in four years, but much has changed since their last success in 2019.

Pierre Sage transformed their fortunes last season to lift them back into the upper echelons of Ligue 1, and ahead of their arrival Adrian Clarke has provided a guide as to what we can expect from our visitors this weekend:

Tactics

Head coach Pierre Sage is not married to one system of play, or a single philosophy. Since replacing Fabio Grosso in late November with his side rock bottom of the table, the 45-year-old former academy manager has experimented with several formations, including three at the back. 

During a fabulous run from January onwards though, a surge which led to a remarkable sixth-place finish, his preferred shape was usually a 4-3-3.

Flexibility is at the core of his approach. He will adapt his plans around player availability, the balance of his starting XI and Lyon’s opponents. This tact was reflected when he made these comments when quizzed about his tactical beliefs.

“You have to have an idea but above all, you have to have lots of variations to this idea. The mistake is to think that it’s the coach’s ideas that are important. It’s not! What matters is what the team can do,” Sage said modestly.

Style of play

You cannot pin Lyon down to one specific style. They can press well but you would not describe them as a pressing side. They can pass patiently and with quality, but equally they are not a possession-obsessed outfit either.

Under a head coach who has worked harder on improving team harmony, man-management and the dressing room culture, their approach is attack-minded, but also very balanced.

Strengths

Scoring 39% of Lyon’s goals last season with an impressive league tally of 19, former Gunner Alexandre Lacazette is the visitors’ chief dangerman. Enjoying a new lease of life in his homeland, Laca’s finishing has strengthened rather than diminished despite now being 33.

Lyon would also consider corners and free kicks a strong suit. Last season they bagged 12 set-piece goals – the division’s third-highest tally – with Irish centre-back Jake O’Brien finding the back of the net on four occasions.

Their squad depth is also impressive. A January splurge increased numbers, meaning they now have game-changing options right across their bench. Sage uses his substitutes astutely, with many goals scored by his second-half replacements.

Weaknesses

Only three Ligue 1 goalkeepers faced more shots than Anthony Lopes last season, so Lyon must tighten things up from a defensive perspective. The new boss has stabilised them to a degree, but having conceded 55 in 34 matches there is still room for improvement.  

Starting slowly is also a problem area for a Lyon outfit that relied too heavily on thrilling second-half comebacks. Often sloppy early on in matches, they let in 30 first-half goals last term, the joint-highest figure in the top-flight.

Key Man

One of the shining lights during Lyon’s terrific performances in 2024 has been midfield maestro Maxence Caqueret. The 24-year-old is a product of the club’s esteemed academy, and he impressed greatly alongside the experienced Nemanja Matic during the second half of the campaign.

He is essentially a supremely rounded midfielder, who is just as effective with or without the ball. Caqueret won the second-highest number of tackles in Ligue 1 last term (64) while also ranking inside the top 10 for interceptions. In possession he is also an invaluable member of Sage’s fast-improving team.

Positive with his distribution, Caqueret made more progressive passes (286) than anyone else in French football’s top tier in 2023/24, ranking second for passes into the final third and penalty area too. The highly rated box-to-box performer also registered seven assists from 57 key passes. He may not be a familiar name to many outside France, but Caqueret makes Lyon tick.