Olympique Lyonnais – AS Saint-Étienne: Kadewere Comes Off The Bench To Earn Brace (2-1)

Three quick substitutions in the second half changed the complexion of the match and helped Lyon recapture victory over their most bitter rival. The introduction of Tino Kadewere on left wing was especially impactful, as the Lyonnais forward helped shore up his club’s defensive transitions and created a decided mismatch going forward. 
Tactical analysis and match report by K.T. Stockwell.

After a slow start, a series of positive results have seen Lyon slowly work their way into contention near the top of the table. With no European fixtures to worry about, all their attention is fixated on the league - and there is no bigger domestic match for Lyon than ‘Le Derby’ against Saint-Étienne.

Much of Lyon’s recent success has been a by-product of manager Rudi Garcia’s adoption of a 4-3-3 formation, which he fielded once more against ASSE. However, Garcia did make a number of changes to his starting eleven: swapping Lucas Paquetá and Thiago Mendes in midfield for Maxence Caqueret and Bruno Guimarães. Up front he selected Moussa Dembélé at striker – flanked by Memphis Depay and Karl Toko Ekambi. In defense, Jason Denayer returned to the lineup to play alongside Sinaly Diomandé at center-back.

After a bright start, Saint-Étienne have plummeted down the table – wracking up five straight losses heading into their match against Lyon. Manager Claude Puel has made a point of fielding a young squad, as the club looks decidedly toward the future. Unfortunately, the burden of inexperience has weighed heavily and the pressure to rescue the club from its nose dive is palpable.

To try and stem the run of bad results, Puel fielded a 4-4-2 formation with the attacking duo . . .