Olympique Lyonnais – Olympique Marseille: Garcia’s Job In Question After Insipid Display (1-1)

An unflattering fixture, punctuated by poor tactical decision-making and physicality did little to raise the low bar both Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique Marseille have set so far this season. Marseille’s lack of discipline was on full display, while Lyon’s toothless offense gave a performance for the ages. In a year in which Paris Saint-Germain has struggled to find their feet, France’s two expectant challengers have let slip away a tremendous opportunity. 
Tactical analysis and match report by K.T. Stockwell. 

After an embarrassing outing against Lorient in the previous round, Garcia made significant changes to his approach: electing to move away from the 3-4-3 formation in favour of a 4-3-3 shape. Moussa Dembélé, Jean Lucas, Sinaly Diomandé, Bruno Guimarães and Rayan Cherki were replaced in the starting eleven. Making way for Thiago Mendes, Melvin Bard, Karl Toko Ekambi, Tino Kadewere and Maxence Caqueret. 

Coming off a somewhat undeserved draw with Metz, Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas doubled down on his approach: retaining a fluid 4-1-4-1 shape. The Portuguese skipper made only one change to his starting eleven: dropping Yuto Nagamoto to the bench and bringing in Jordan Amavi. 

Payet sees red
Both sides let themselves down in what was a first 45 minutes’ low on quality, but high on physicality. Lyon’s offense continued to look one-dimensional, while Marseille remained a shell of the offensive dynamo that emerged in Villas-Boas first season with the club. 

Marseille enlisted a now familiar defensive approach: adopting a 4-1-4-1 medium block. A medium block refers to a team that retreats in their own half out of possession . . .