Lyon continued their pre-season preparations, as they played Manchester United under the Scottish sun at Murrayfield on Wednesday afternoon. Laurent Blanc made one change to his team that beat Tremmel 2-1, with Mamadou Sarr coming into the defence. Manchester United were captained by former France international Raphaël Varane and came into the match fresh from a 2-0 victory over Leeds in Norway.
Manchester United started the quicker of the two teams with several chances in the opening ten minutes. The most notable fell to Amad Diallo and Antony, but Anthony Lopes thwarted both chances with two big stops. Blanc’s men were then able to somewhat settle into the game and reply with a couple of chances over their own. Mohamed El Arouch was at the heart of OL’s biggest chance as he evaded two challenges with brilliant footwork and slid through Lacazette. However, the angle closed and the former Arsenal striker couldn’t get his shot away. Jeffinho also managed to find space in a crowded penalty area but could only find the side netting.
After the opening twenty minutes, the game fell into a state of flux. Neither team were able to find the breakthrough or fashion any clear-cut chances. Amin Sarr’s attempted bicycle kick was the final kick of the half from Tolisso’s set-piece, as the teams went into the break goalless.
Erik Ten Hag made 11 changes at half-time, with Jonny Evans most notably making his second debut for the Red Devils. The parity didn’t last long in the second half though. In the 49th minute, Dan Gore managed to beat Sarr, get to the byline and picked out Donny Van De Beek in the area. The former Ajax midfielder emphatically volleyed home beyond Lopes to give United the lead. With the starting eleven managing to withstand a period of Manchester United dominance in possession, Blanc decided to ring in the changes and replaced his starting eleven – with Sinaly Diomandé the only survivor of the substitutions. The Ivorian was then later replaced by Camilo. Chances in the second half remained few and far between as the new-look sides tussled for any space and time on the ball. In the end, it was a rather toothless performance from Lyon, who failed to create any meaningful opportunities in the second half and suffered their first defeat of pre-season.
Olympique Lyonnais ratings:
Anthony Lopes – 8: Despite gifting United possession in the opening two minutes, the Portuguese international saved OL from early embarrassment and provided a glut of successive stops. He remained the saviour in what could have been an unenvious opening for OL. Lyon’s man of the match.
Clinton Mata – 7: Lyon’s newest recruit put in a solid showing. He provided some security in what was a largely inexperienced defence and offered a couple of glimpses of the creativity he might provide with tempting crosses into the area. It was a positive display from the former Club Brugge man.
Mamadou Sarr – 5
Sinaly Diomandé – 5
Achraf Laâziri – 6
Johann Lepenant – 4
Corentin Tolisso – 5
Mohamed El Arouch – 7: El Arouch showed excellent composure on the ball and a great ability to beat players when in tight spaces. His defence-splitting pass to Lacazette in the first half produced one of OL’s best chances of the game. If the academy graduate can continue to impress, it won’t be the last we see of him this season.
Jeffinho – 7: If there was one word to describe Jeffinho’s performance, it would be lively. He was largely involved and showed some of what OL can expect in his first full season with the club, with great awareness and movement in the final third.
Alexandre Lacazette – 6
Amin Sarr – 4
OL substitutes:
Rémy Riou – 7
Saël Kumbedi – 5
Abdoulaye Ndiaye – 5
Nicolás Tagliafico – 6
Skelly Alvero – 6: OL’s first signing of the summer showed promise. He started shakily – misplacing his first pass. However, after that, he settled into the game and looked the most established substitute in midfield. There looks to be more to come from the former Sochaux player.
Florent Sanchez – 5
Jeff Reine-Adélaïde – 5
Pathé Mboup – 5
Sekou Lega – 5
Tino Kadewere – 4
Camilo – N/A
Notable Manchester United ratings:
Raphaël Varane – 6: The former France international captained United in the first half and had a great chance from a corner, which he narrowly headed over. In addition, he marshalled the Red Devils’ back line well, helping them keep a clean sheet.
Álvaro Fernandez – 7: The Spanish left-back was a constant threat down the left flank, which saw him caught out of position a couple of times. However, he put in a positive performance nonetheless.
Mason Mount – 5: Mount’s United debut was a quiet one. Besides a missed free kick, Red Devils fans didn’t get to see a great deal from their new signing.
Donny van de Beek – 8: The Dutchman’s return to United action was a positive one. Scoring the winning goal with an emphatic volley, his second-half substitution was the most eye-catching.
GFFN | Liam Wraith
