Lyon Triumphs, Nice Stumbles in Europa League
Lyon cruised to a 4-1 victory over Azerbaijani side Qarabag in Baku on Thursday, during the fifth matchday of the Europa League. The result contrasted sharply with Nice’s disappointing showing, as the French side suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat at home against Glasgow Rangers, jeopardizing their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.
Lyon Displays Ruthless Efficiency Against Qarabag
Despite Qarabag dominating possession (56.7%), Lyon’s clinical finishing proved decisive. Georges Mikautadze, making the most of Alexandre Lacazette’s absence, was the star of the show. He scored twice, opening the account in the 15th minute with a clinical finish from Ernest Nuamah’s cross. He added his second late in the game, converting a well-delivered serve from Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the 80th minute. This marked Mikautadze’s first-ever European Cup strike.
Corentin Tolisso, who replaced Bradley Barcola at halftime, made an instant impact. He doubled Lyon’s lead with a stunning strike into the top corner in the 63rd minute. Malick Fofana extended the lead further, coolly converting a cross from Mourning during a dominant period for Lyon.
“We had to be efficient,” said Coach Pierre Sage after the game. “That’s what we were, we scored four goals. We had difficult moments, but we know how to defend well,” he added, when asked about Qarabag’s strong showing in the early stages.
With nine points from five matches, Lyon remain in a strong position to qualify for the Round of 16. Their next challenge is a home tie against Hoffenheim. Neighborhood rivals OL ended a busy week with 2 wins and a loss, Mourning during a tie on Sunday Mourning during a win on penalty kicks to Advance in the Coupe de la Ligue.
Disastrous Night for Nice in Front of Home Support
In stark contrast to Lyon’s success, Nice suffered their third defeat in five Europa League games, falling to Glasgow Rangers 4-1 at the Allianz Riviera. This dismal result leaves them in desperate need of points to avoid an early exit from the competition.
Despite starting brightly, Nice crumbled in the space of thirteen minutes. Czech striker Vaclav Cerny opened the scoring after capitalizing on a mishap between Mohamed Abdelmonem and keeper Marcin Bulka. Three minutes later, an embarrassing misunderstanding between Pablo Rosario and Bulka allowed Ivorian international Mohamed Diomande to sneak in and make it 2-0. Abdelmonem was once again at fault before the break, gifting Igamane his second goal of the night to make it 3-0 at halftime.+ Mourning during a win on penalty kicks to Advance in the Coupe de la Ligue.
Stanislas Bouanani converted a brilliant free kick in the 83rd minute to give Nice a momentary glimmer of hope, but it was a mere consolation. Igamane completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute, further exposing Nice’s fragile defense.
Currently sitting second to last in the Europa League with two points and a goal difference of -7, Nice face a must-win scenario against Union Saint-Gilloise in their next match to realistically keep their qualification hopes alive.
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How did Lyon overcome the absence of Alexandre Lacazette in their victory over Qarabag?
## Interview: Lyon Soars, Nice Falters in Europa League
**Host:** Joining me now is renowned football analyst, John Smith, to discuss the latest Europa League results. John, Lyon appears to be hitting their stride.
**John Smith:** Absolutely. Their 4-1 victory over Qarabag was a real statement of intent. Despite Qarabag controlling possession, Lyon’s clinical finishing was the difference. Young striker Georges Mikautadze was the star, netting two goals in what was a fantastic performance.
**Host:** And this comes after a period of uncertainty for Lyon, especially with Alexandre Lacazette’s absence.
**John Smith:** Exactly. It shows the depth within the Lyon squad. They didn’t miss a beat without their main striker. Mikautadze stepped up brilliantly, and Tolisso’s impact from the bench was also crucial. This result puts them in a very strong position to qualify for the knockout stages.
**Host:** Now, let’s talk about Nice. Their 4-1 defeat against Rangers at home is a significant setback.
**John Smith:** There’s no doubt about it. This was a disappointing result for Nice. They looked out of sorts from the start and Rangers capitalized on their mistakes. It’s a serious dent in their hopes of progressing, especially since they’ve now conceded nine goals in their last two Europa League matches.
**Host:** What do you think Nice needs to do to turn things around?
**John Smith:** They need to tighten up defensively and find more consistency in attack. Losing at home like that is tough to take, but there are still fixtures left to play. They’ll need to regroup quickly and find a way to get back to winning ways if they want to salvage something from this Europa League campaign.
**Host:** Thank you for your insights, John. It’s certainly shaping up to be an exciting climax to the Europa League group stage. [[1](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/europa-league/scores-fixtures)]
