Olympique Lyonnais – Olympique Marseille: Dembélé Delivers At the Death (2-1)

In a game of two halves, both managers earned their flowers. Jorge Sampaoli's body of work flourished in the first half, but his men could not finish off the duel. So seizing a window of opportunity at the death, might his counterpart have made a breakthrough in his new post?
Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Olympique Lyonnais are still paying the price for the void in the middle of the attack that Memphis once filled. Peter Bosz's pledge to bring offensive verve to the Groupama Stadium is yet to come into fruition. A case in point: four stalemates on the trot brought 2021 to a close. A three match winning streak in the new year has drawn the team into the battle for Europe, so is an uptick soon incoming?

Where their hosts have struggled, Olympique Marseille have blossomed. Under Jorge Sampaoli, the outfit have taken an array of new ideas in their stride to stake a stiff bid in their hunt for Champions League football. Thirteen points adrift of PSG at the top of the Ligue 1 table, their aim has long been to end up best of the rest. Another three points on the road would put the team back in second place.

Off the back of a 1-0 victory over AS Saint-Étienne, Bosz made five changes to his starting eleven. Bruno . . .