Lyon claim 12th straight win with 10 men, still fighting on three fronts | OneFootball

Reduced to 10 men, Lyon edged Nantes 1-0 on Saturday to make it 12 wins in a row. As reported by L'Équipe, they are juggling Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Europa League amid mounting fatigue.

Endrick was sent off on 61 minutes, but Lyon held firm. He became the sixth Lyon player dismissed in Ligue 1 this season.

Earlier in the season, dismissals cost points, starting with Tyler Morton in the 1-3 defeat at Rennes on 14 September. Further reds for Abner, Hans Hateboer, Nicolas Tagliafico and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in matches against Paris FC, Brest, Paris-SG and Lorient stymied wins. Improved individual discipline now dovetails with collective rigour, though it might not have sufficed against stronger opposition.

A post-whistle huddle around Paulo Fonseca underlined the squad’s belief. Abner said the Champions League is an aim and, though they sit third, only the final table counts as they go game by game.

The trip capped a gruelling run that has stretched a still-thin squad despite winter arrivals. Fonseca had few options, turning only to Hans Hateboer on 87 minutes and Khalis Merah on 90+4 after Pavel Sulc and Afonso Moreira tired.

Fonseca said they had only two days to prepare after Wednesday's 2-0 cup win over Laval with near-identical personnel. He welcomed three straight weeks without midweek games to recover players and work on details at both ends, a key February test of whether this can be sustained.

Source: L'Équipe