PLAYER RATINGS | Lyon 1-1 Paris FC: Corentin Tolisso’s late penalty saves a point for the home side | OneFootball

Corentin Tolisso’s penalty deep into injury time rescued a point for Lyon and robbed Antoine Kombouaré of two victories in two as Paris FC boss.

The Match

After two straight Ligue 1 defeats, plus a Coupe de France exit on penalties, Olympique Lyonnais welcomed Paris FC looking to stop the rot. However, with a threadbare squad, some tired-looking players and a Europa League match to come in midweek, Paulo Fonseca surprisingly started with captain Corentin Tolisso and star Endrick on the bench, and with three in defence.

Defence seemed to be the watchword for Paris FC too in a soporific first half where Paris FC sat deep and Lyon lacked the invention to create any chance of note: Paris FC goalkeeper Kevin Trapp had one routine save to make and Dominik Greif had even less to do. This was a long way from the electric 3-3 draw played out between the teams earlier in the season.

The second half was a very different prospect, with Paris FC firing out of the tracks and creating panic numerous times in the Lyon area. Dominik Greif was finally called into action as Lyon looked to be holding on. Fonseca called upon Corentin Tolisso and he immediately imposed his authority, taking the ball away from his opponents and creating a couple of chances.

However, just as it looked like Lyon had weathered the storm, they fell behind. Rudy Matondo’s powerful shot went through a crowded area and, while Greif got down quickly to make the save, he could only palm it to Marshall Munetsi. After a VAR check for offside, the goal was confirmed – his third goal in three matches.

Thereafter Paris FC put 10 behind the ball as Lyon drove forward but created few clear-cut chances while leaving themselves vulnerable to the break. As the clock passed 90 minutes a brave Greif save kept Lyon in touch and seconds later they had a chance to grab an equaliser as 17-year-old substitute Adil Hamdani’s cross clipped the arm of Paris FC’s Alimani Gory at almost point-blank range. Referee Eric Wattellier was called to the pitchside screen, pointed to the spot and Tolisso nervelessly powered home.

Although they will feel frustrated to drop two points so late on, Paris FC look well set to stay clear of the relegation scrap. Lyon have lost third place to Olympique de Marseille on goal difference but will be relieved to have ended their losing run.

Lyon Player Ratings

Dominik Greif 6 – had three saves to make all match. He made them all but while he managed to hold the first one with Munetsi in close attendance, he could only palm the second into Munetsi’s path for the winner. His late save, also from Munetsi, proved crucial in keeping Lyon only one behind

Clinton Mata 4

Moussa Niakhaté 5 – looked his usual assured self for most of the match but seemed as panicked as the rest of the Lyon defence in the early stages of the second half

Nicolas Tagliafico 4

Hans Hateboer 5

Tanner Tessmann 6 – very involved in defence and attack and looked calmer than most of his teammates as Paris FC began the second half on fire

Tyler Morton 5

Khalis Merah 6 – was involved in all of Lyon’s build-up play in the first half an always looked to make himself available. Replaced on the hour by Tolisso, who looked a class above most of his teammates

Abner Vinicius 4 – considering he had no defensive work to do in the first half, he contributed disappointingly little going forward. Save for one good run, he did little more in the second half.

Adam Karabec 3 – a poor display on his chance to show that he can be a viable option for Fonseca. Saw a reasonable amount of the ball but did very little with it

Rémi Himbert 6 – should he be marked up for being on the end of almost every Lyon half-chance in the first half, or marked down for not making more of any of them? He deserves the benefit of the doubt for a tireless display, first as a central striker and then on the left wing

Paris FC Player Ratings

Kevin Trapp 5 – a five is not a reflection of a poor match but of the fact that he had nothing to do other than one routine save and to pick the ball out of the net following Tolisso’s penalty

Adama Camara 7 – a brilliant display by the midfielder playing in an unfamiliar position. Had Abner in his pocket all evening and played a part in Paris FC’s goal with his nod down for Matondo

Diego Coppola 5

Moustapha Mbow 6 – an excellent centre-back display with some eye-catching last-gasp clearances and blocks in the second half

Nhoa Sangui 5

Pierre Lees-Melou 5 – huffed and puffed and found himself in some good shooting positions before scuffing his shots

Marshall Munetsi 6 – scored what looked for a long time to be the winner and came very close to doubling Paris FC’s lead just before Lyon’s equaliser

Rudy Matondo 7 – a very impressive performance by the French youngster, who always made himself available for the ball, always looking to push forward. It was his shot that led to his side’s goal and he put in a good defensive shift too

Jonathan Ikoné 5

Jean-Philippe Krasso 4 fluffed a clear chance to put Paris FC 1-0 up in the first half, shooting wide when put through one-on-one

Moses Simon 5

GFFN | Jeremy Smith