Keito Nakamura steps into the Lyon lights for the first time on Wednesday night, handed his first start for OL as Anderlecht visit in the Europa League.
Lyon rotate heavily for Anderlecht test
Paulo Fonseca has made sweeping changes to his side for the 21:00 kick-off, with Japanese forward Nakamura selected from the start only weeks after arriving in early September as a late transfer-window addition.
Nakamura has made just one appearance for Lyon so far. He came on for around 15 minutes during Saturday’s goalless Ligue 1 draw with Paris FC, his first minutes in the club’s colours.
Only three players who began that match retain their places against Anderlecht: striker Loïs Openda, midfielder Tyler Morton and centre-back Moussa Niakhaté. Niakhaté will wear the captain’s armband.
Rémy Descamps starts in goal for Lyon, taking his place in a much-changed line-up for the European fixture.
An academy sequence ends
The selection also brings an unusual break with Lyon’s recent European history. For the first time since 2011, OL will begin a European match without a single player developed by the club in their starting team.
That ends a run of 118 consecutive European matches in which Lyon had included at least one academy product from kick-off.
Former French football faces in Anderlecht defence
Anderlecht arrive with a central-defensive pairing familiar to French football. Former Saint-Étienne defender Léo Pétrot lines up alongside Andrew Omobamidele, who previously played for Strasbourg.
On the Belgian side’s bench is Tawfik Bentayeb, the former Troyes player who finished as Ligue 2’s leading scorer last season.
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Keito Nakamura handed first Lyon start against Anderlecht
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Keito Nakamura makes his first start for Lyon against Anderlecht in the Europa League as Paulo Fonseca makes major changes to his side.
