After back-to-back wins against Nice and Qarabag, Lyon looked to strengthen their chances of qualifying for European football as they traveled to newly promoted Angers on Saturday evening. The hosts came into the match on the back of a 1-0 win against Le Havre.
Malick Fofana almost opened the scoring for Lyon in the opening minutes after Lacazette found the winger in space, but his namesake in the Angers goal denied him with a superb save. Perri was then penalized for a back pass under bizarre circumstances and an indirect free kick was awarded against Les Gones.
After an opening 25 minutes in which Lyon controlled possession, the visitors were finally rewarded after a Rayan Cherki corner. Nicolás Tagliafico connected with the Frenchman's cross and used his head to direct his effort into the ground and past Fofana.
Lyon pushed for a second goal before half-time, with Veretout coming close on a few occasions, but it was Angers who came closest to scoring the second goal of the match. El Melali's whistling free-kick from 30 yards was the closest the hosts came to a goal before half-time, but Perri dealt with the danger effectively by turning the shot onto the post.
It looked like Angers would score the next goal before half-time, yet it was Lyon who came out with renewed purpose and intention in the second half. Their increased pressure was rewarded with a second goal. Maitland-Niles managed to pass the ball to Cherki, who made no mistake with his effort from close range.
From the bench, Georges Mikautadze completed the job for his boyhood club with a third goal. The Georgian international did brilliantly after dribbling into the area, beating his man and firing a powerful shot into the top corner. With their victory, Lyon moved up to fifth place, just one point clear of Marseille in the Champions League places.
Lucas Perri: 5
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 6
Clinton Mata: 6
Duje Ćaleta car: 6
Nicolás Tagliafico: 7 – Surprisingly, the Argentinian proved to be a threat to Lyon with his goal in the air. Furthermore, the World Cup winner was a threat from set pieces and provided a solid all-round performance as he carried out his defensive duties in a more reserved manner, allowing Maitland-Niles to push forward on the other flank.
Nemanja Matic: 6
Corentin Tolisso: 6
Jordan Veretout: 6
Rayan Cherki: 8 – With the ball at his feet, the France youth international continued to show off his impressive arsenal of skills and moves, but also produced the final third when his team needed it. A creative and confident performance yielded a goal and an assist. His delivery from set pieces proved dangerous all night.
Alexandre Lacazette: 5
Malick Fofana: 6
Yahia Fofana: 6 – The Ivorian international stopper was busy all game and managed to keep his team in with a shout. With no fewer than 8 shots on target, Fofana did everything he could to deny the visitors.
Bamba Dieng: 4
Farid El Melali: 6
GFFN | Liam Wraith
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