L’Olympique Lyonnais finally launched its pre-season against FC Villefranche-Beaujolais, with an hour delay due to a storm. Coach Paulo Fonseca, absent from the stands due to a suspension, preferred a staff review and player rotation, providing an opportunity for the young people of the training centre to show themselves. The initial team, although lacking cohesion at the beginning, gradually improved its game, thanks in particular to the energy and determination of the players from the National. Despite a persistent rain that made the game difficult, OL managed to win by a penalty transformed by Corentin Tolisso (1-0) in the second period.

The composition of the OL start team for this friendly match was as follows: Descamps - Kumbedi, Mata, Caleta-Car, Chaib - Tessmann, Matic, Merah - Laaziri, Molebe, Himbert. Fonseca then made a complete change in the second half, with the entry into play of players like Tolisso, Barisic, Niakhaté and Fofana, who brought more activity and dynamism to the team. The young Corentin Tolisso was particularly distinguished, being a real danger to the opposing defense and transforming the penalty that sealed the victory.

This meeting, although preparatory, helped to identify areas for improvement, particularly in terms of defensive cohesion and coordination of movements. The main objective remains preparation for the recovery of Ligue 1 on 16 August in Lens. OL will once again face the RWDM Brussels on Wednesday for a second friendly match, offering Fonseca a final opportunity to assess its strength and prepare the team for the upcoming season. The situation of some key players, such as Lucas Perri, Mathieu Patouille and Georges Mikautadze, remains worrying, but Fonseca assures that they will be available for the recovery.