This Wednesday 2nd October 2019, for the second day of the Champions League, two of the three French clubs in the race have not spent the same evening.
After seven games without a win, Lyon has regained colour by winning in Leipzig (2-0) in the Champions League. Lille suffered a second defeat, 2-1 against Chelsea, and FC Barcelona relaunched on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, during the second day.
Before this pleasant evening in Saxony, the last success of the “Gones” went back to August 16 in Ligue 1 where, in the Rhone, they had imploded Angers (6-0). Since then, OL has conceded four draws and three defeats in seven games in all competitions. A worrisome balance sheet that has made the Brazilian coach Sylvinho, the Brazilian sports director – also Juninho – very grateful that “the message” of his compatriot “does not pass completely”.
The first success for Lyon
But in the Champions League, OL has a much better pace and can boast of being undefeated. After the draw at home against Zenit (1-1), the Lyonnais have won the first success in C1 that allows them to compete with the Russian club, winner of Benfica (3-1), at the top of the ranking. Dutch striker Memphis Depay, who scored the equalizer goal against Zenit, opened the scoring at Red Bull Arena (11th) before Martin Terrier completed his second-half success (65th).
If the C1 smiles in Lyon, it starts to look like a nightmare for the Lille. Already manhandled in Amsterdam by Ajax (3-0), the Dogues have suffered the law of Chelsea. The nugget Tammy Abraham (22nd) opened the scoring but Victor Osimhen was quick to answer (33rd), scoring his seventh goal in ten matches.
Mad party in Anfield
But the “Blues”, reinforced by the return of injury of Ngolo Kanté, struck again by the Brazilian Willian (78th). The Lille have had several opportunities to return, including a beautiful after a bad recovery of Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga but Soumaré has managed to take advantage.
Here, Lille is the last of its group, with a zero point, while his other three competitors have at least three units. Ajax, outgoing semi-finalist, is leading in the lead thanks to a second 3-0 win signed in Valencia.
The evening’s festival came from Anfield, where reigning champion Liverpool kicked off after falling in their first match in Naples (2-0), but not without fear against Salzburg (4-3). The Reds led 3-0, before being caught up. It was Mohamed Salah, author of a double, who released the holders of the title in the second half thanks to a goal of “fox of the surfaces”. Liverpool returns to a length of leader Napoli, held in check at Genk (0-0).
Italian trap
In the Nou Camp, the “Barcelona” got away from the trap set by Inter Milan (2-1) thanks to a doubled Luis Suarez (58th, 84th). The “Nerazzurri”, however, deprived of Romelu Lukaku (thigh), quickly opened the scoring thanks to Lautaro Martinez (4th) but did not hold against the Catalans, reinforced by the return of Lionel Messi, recovered from an elongation.
With 4 points, Barcelona is side-by-side with Borussia Dortmund, who had shoved on the first day, and escaped on the lawn of Slavia Prague (2-0) with a double from the Moroccan side Achraf Hakimi (35th, 89th).
