PARIS — Following a stellar performance that resulted in 10 goals over three matches, new head coach Paulo Fonseca is successfully reintroducing an attacking style of play at Lyon.
On Sunday, Lyon secured a convincing 4-1 victory against Montpellier in Ligue 1, with four different players scoring for the second consecutive match.
Rayan Cherki, who had a hand in all four goals in the previous week’s clash against Reims, wasted no time in assisting Georges Mikautadze for the game’s first goal after just three minutes.
Montpellier was able to equalize just before halftime with a goal from forward Tanguy Coulibaly, but Lyon quickly regained control early in the second half.
Ernest Nuamah netted a goal, followed shortly by an assist for the revitalized midfielder Corentin Tolisso, who has found the back of the net in every match since Fonseca’s arrival.
Previously, under coach Pierre Sage, the team had struggled, managing just five goals in six winless games before his dismissal.
Veteran striker Alexandre Lacazette sealed the win with a goal in the 73rd minute, maintaining Lyon’s position in sixth place, as Lille took fifth with a 2-0 win over Rennes later on Sunday.
In the battle for third place, Nice edged out their rivals Monaco on goal difference following a 3-1 victory over struggling Le Havre.
Both squads now share 40 points, trailing second-placed Marseille by six points.
Nice gained the lead in the 16th minute through striker Gaëtan Laborde, with an own-goal by Étienne Youté two minutes later giving Nice further control.
Although Yassine Kechta pulled one back for Le Havre, Sofiane Diop added a late goal in stoppage time to solidify the win for Nice.
Meanwhile, Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg triumphed 2-0 at Lens, moving past them in the standings to seventh place, bolstered by Dutch striker Emanuel Emegha’s tenth goal of the season.
Algerian winger Farid El Melali also left his mark, scoring the sole goal in Angers’ 1-0 victory over Reims.
These two teams are set to face each other again in the French Cup quarterfinals on February 25.
One of the standout moments of the weekend came when Nabil Bentaleb netted Lille’s opening goal during their match.
After scoring from close range following a corner, he sprinted towards the bench to embrace his teammates, which held special significance.
Bentaleb had only returned to training last month after suffering a cardiac arrest in mid-June of the previous year, resulting in an artificial coma and the implantation of a pacemaker-defibrillator.
Lille’s leading scorer, Jonathan David, was rested, and his substitute missed a penalty.
Chuba Akpom’s shot in the 44th minute was saved, and his subsequent goal attempt was ruled out for offside.
However, Akpom’s tenacity forced a red card for defender Christopher Wooh in the 75th minute, allowing Lille to break the deadlock.
Bentaleb netted his goal five minutes later, prompting a proud smile from Lille’s coach Bruno Genesio.
After the match concluded, Lille’s players encouraged Bentaleb to join their traveling supporters, who greeted him with applause.
“It’s incredible. These images will remain engraved for life,” Bentaleb remarked, expressing the profound impact of the day on his life and career.
In other action, runaway leaders PSG narrowly beat Toulouse 1-0 on Saturday, maintaining a 10-point advantage over the high-scoring Marseille in second place.
