Derby Saint-Étienne - Olympic Lyon : An Evening of Chaos and Injustices

This Sunday evening was marked by a nightmare evening at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, during the derby between AS Saint-Étienne and Olympique Lyonnais. The match, counting for the 30th day of Ligue 1, resulted in a 2-1 defeat for OL, following a chaotic performance and controversial arbitral decisions.

A Catastrophial Beginning and An Expulsion Cancelled

The match started on the wheel caps for Olympique Lyonnais. As early as the 10th minute, Lucas Stassin, the Stéphanois striker, opened the score of a head at close range. Ten minutes later, Stassin could have been expelled for a violent blow on Corentin Tolisso, but the referee, François Letexier, cancelled the red card after consulting the VAR. This decision provoked the outrage of John Textor, owner of OL, who denounced an injustice on Instagram.

Interruption and Projectiles

The situation worsened further at the 23rd minute when Stassin was also expelled for one shot from behind on Tolisso. However, Letexier finally decided not to give the red card, despite the fact that Tolisso went out on stretcher with fear of knee injury. This decision ignited Textor, which expressed its ras-le-bol.

A projectile shot at the assistant referee, François Letexier, forced the game to stop for almost 45 minutes. The crisis cell was activated to assess safety and the possibility of resuming the meeting.

Return and New Defeat

After a break of more than 45 minutes, the game resumed for the remaining four minutes of play. Despite an awakening and reorganisation effort, notably with the entrances of Maitland-Niles and Almadès, OL continued to suffer. Stassin even scored a second goal in the 67th minute, sealing the 2-1 loss with a Tessmann goal in the 76th minute.

Controversies and Reactions

The evening was marked by many polemics, notably regarding Letexier’s decision to cancel the red card on Stassin. The atmosphere was electric, and the defeat confirmed OL’s difficulties, which is currently in sixth place in Ligue 1.

Statistics

• Buts: Stassin (10’, 67’) for Saint-Étienne, Tessmann (76’) for Lyon
• Warnings: Lacazette (27’), Akouokou (32’), Mikautadze (52’) and Mata (90’) for Lyon

The day was marked by total chaos, unfair outcome and questions about the role of arbitration in this derby.