A memorable derby, marked by injury and uncertainty
The derby between AS Saint-Étienne and Olympique Lyonnais marked the story, well beyond the interruption of the meeting due to exceptional circumstances. The action took place at the 23rd minute when Lucas Stassin opened the score for Paulo Fonseca’s men, taking advantage of a Corentin Tolisso error. However, the sequence took a dramatic turn when Stassin unintentionally injured the middle of the Rhodanian terrain, touching his Achilles tendon.
The pain of Tolisso, world champion 2018, was visible, forcing him to leave the lawn on stretcher, growing concern about the extent of his injury and potentially his season. The arbitrator, François Letexier, had initially excluded Stassin, but finally reviewed his decision after an appeal from the VAR.
“I’ve reviewed the images. I thought he was gonna come take the red card off and put a yellow on me. It is his decision, in any case, it had to be respected,” said Stassin, relieved to be able to continue the meeting. “I wanted to play the whole game, so it’s a chance for me to keep going. It could have been a turning point if we were ten.”
After the meeting, Stassin expressed his regret to Tolisso: “I didn’t want to hurt him.”
The Olympique Lyonnais, who had had a period of success with victories against Lille, Auxerre and Manchester United, suffered two sharp setbacks. The defeat in the derby, exacerbated by an error of arbitration that led to Tolisso’s injury, adds to the pressure on Paulo Fonseca and his team.
The show As long as there will be Gosses will focus on Monday on the events of this derby, in particular on the performance of François Letexier and the work of Paulo Fonseca. Consultants, Nicolas Puydebois and Enzo Reale, will analyse the issues and questions raised by these results.
The public is invited to share their views on the news of Olympique Lyonnais in the comments area of this article. As long as there are Gosses will be broadcast live from 7 p.m. on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, Lyon Capitale TV and Dailymotion platforms.