Zimbabwean international, Tino Kadewere scored a brace as Olympique Lyonnais held off RC Strasbourg Alsace to win 3-2 on Sunday and bring a five-game winless streak to an end.
THE MATCH
Lyon’s last league win had come in late August, and Rudi Garcia’s men must have been hopeful of improving their fortunes against a Strasbourg team that started the game second-from-bottom of the table.
The visitors certainly made a strong start: with just 12 minutes on the clock, Kadewere raced onto Memphis Depay’s ball in behind the home defence, and fired past Bingourou Kamara, who might have done better.
The Zimbabwean forward’s first Lyon goal would have been followed by another maiden OL strike for Lucas Paqueta but the Brazilian was flagged offside before he lobbed Kamara (16′).
Lyon, who had beaten Strasbourg 14 times and lost just once in 17 21st-century encounters between the pair, were soon two up though. After Paqueta won the ball back, Depay charged forward and crossed for Toko-Ekambi to claim his first league goal of the campaign (26′).
A negative COVID-19 test that came through just hours before OL headed to Alsace on Saturday meant Anthony Lopes could play, and the Portugal international made the journey worthwhile by pushing out Jean-Eudes Ahoulou’s volley (32′).
Strasbourg boss Thierry Laurey brought on new signing Habib Diallo eight minutes before the break to go to a 4-4-2, but after Lopes had denied Stefan Mitrovic (39′), Toko-Ekambi extended OL’s lead from close range following more good work from Depay (42′).
Diallo, signed from regional rivals Metz during the transfer window, responded almost immediately, snapping up the rebound after Lopes had pushed out Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s shot (43′) to give the hosts hope.
That hope was boosted still further when Ahoulou’s first-time shot found the net following another Lopes save, this time from Diallo (55′). He was there again nine minutes from time to halt Ludovic Ajorque (81′) and give the seven-time French champions a welcome three points.
-International Sports