Rafael Ratao rescued a point for Toulouse in their 1-1 draw against a defensively disjointed Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1.
Lyon came into the game with everything on the line, having not won any of their last four Ligue 1 games.
With the pressure firmly on them, an early goal was just what they needed. Alexandre Lacazette’s through ball found Tete perfectly, allowing the Brazilian the opportunity to smash the ball from outside the box, with the effort taking a slight deflection on the way to goal.
The goal ended the club’s streak of not scoring in their last two matches, having been unable to net against both Paris Saint-Germain and Lens.
Despite conceding in the third minute, Toulouse did well to create opportunities, with Zakaria Aboukhlal heading a golden opportunity from a set piece over the bar, and Stijn Spierings clattering the crossbar late in the first half.
In the second half, Lyon started off strong, but they were unable to double their lead – something they’d come to regret in the 67th minute.
The hosts attempted to play out from the back, but they lost it to Branco van den Boomen, and after some sloppy defending that saw three Lyon defenders on the ground, substitute Ratao was able to run into space and smash home – to pile more pressure on Lyon boss Peter Bosz.
After conceding, OL pushed for a winner, and while Lacazette and Karl Toko Ekambi had their chances, they were just unable to find that final ball. Toulouse goalkeeper Maxime Dupe also considerably hindered their chances of scoring, as the Frenchman stepped up when his side needed him, pulling off impressive saves.
Lyon now sit in seventh and will have to get over this disappointing result quickly, as they play Rennes, who are sixth, next. Toulouse will hope to build on this draw when they host Angers.
TALKING POINT: IS IT TIME FOR BOSZ TO SAY GOODBYE?
The draw means that the losing streak comes to an end, but this is now no wins in five matches for OL. The team had an abundance of chances in attack (19 shots to Toulouse’s five, with eight on target), so you can hardly blame manager Bosz for his players not being able to score from good positions, but defensively they were all over the place. From the opening five minutes, the visitors were carving Lyon open, even when they were 1-0 down, and the insistence to play out from the back is puzzling when his players can’t seem to stay calm with the ball. The goal, of course, came from a mistake in defence, one that would not have happened if Lyon moved the ball up the pitch a bit quicker.
In the pre-match press conference, reporters got a sharp “No” from Bosz when he was asked if he feared for his job, a response that he may be forced to reconsider in the coming days.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: MAXIME DUPE (TOULOUSE)
Toulouse played well, but they were not great at keeping Lyon out. The 29-year-old Dupe came to the rescue several times, making seven saves, four of them being inside the six-yard box. Being able to keep a front four of Tete, Lacazette, Karl Toko Ekambi, and Moussa Dembele relatively quiet is no small feat.
PLAYER RATINGS
LYON: Lopes 7, Gusto 7, Mendes 6, Lukeba 6, Tagliafico 7, Tolisso 7, Lepenant 6, Tete 7, Toko Ekamb 7, Lacazette 7, Dembele 6.
SUBS: Reine-Adelaide 7, Caqueret 7, Cherki 6.
TOULOUSE: Dupe 8*, Keben 6, Rouault 6, Nicolaisen 7, Sylla 7, Dejaegere 6, Spierings 7, Van den Boomen 8, Aboukhlal 7, Dallinga 6, Chaibi 6.
SUBS: Diarra: 6, Genreau: 6, Ratao 8.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
2’ – GOAL! LYON 1-0 TOULOUSE: THAT WAS QUICK!!!! Quick passing between Dembele and Lacazette means that Tete is through on goal. He takes a moment and fires the shot into the back of the net. The home fans are loving this early lead.
12’ – HUGE CHANCE FOR LYON! Some fantastic skill from Karl Toko Ekambi as he dribbles through the box, between the legs of many defenders. He’s one on one vs Dupe, but the ‘keeper gets down low and grabs the ball before the shot.
16’ – TOULOUSE FREE-KICK: Wonderful delivery from Van den Boomen and there is not a single Lyon player at the near post, but Aboukhlal heads the chance over. A huge missed chance!
67’ – GOAL! LYON 1-1 TOULOUSE: The visitors are back in it! Lyon try and fail to play out of the back, and Van den Boomen is able to win it back. Toulouse pass it around for a bit, and with three Lyon defenders on the deck trying to salvage the ball, Ratao comes from the right and slots it home.
