Chrislain Matsima on Alexandre Lacazette: “He’s a great striker and he’s proving it again by carrying Lyon on his shoulders.” | OneFootball

Chrislain Matsima will come up against Alexandre Lacazette, the second-top scorer in Ligue 1 on Friday, when AS Monaco face Olympique Lyonnais. The France youth international wasn’t, however, short of praise for his compatriot and Friday’s opponent.

Only Kylian Mbappé (26) has more goals than Lacazette’s 25 this season. The Frenchman, who returned to Lyon on a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer, could have drawn level had he not missed a penalty against Clermont Foot at the weekend.

Despite his form, Lacazette hasn’t been nominated for the UNFP Player of the Season award. However, Matsima was full of praise for his compatriot, who has scored almost half of Lyon’s 58 league goals this season. “I feel ready to face him. He is a great striker. Everyone agrees with that. He’s proven it again this season by carrying Lyon on his shoulders. It’s always exciting to play against this kind of player. It will be a great challenge for me and the rest of the team to stop him from shining,” said Matsima in a press conference attended by Get French Football News.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle