Noah Nartey stepped into the Anderlecht night with the timing of a midfielder who knows an opening may not come twice. The 20-year-old Danish player scored in Lyon’s 2-1 win on Wednesday, answering Paulo Fonseca’s call for every squad member to be ready, but his display is unlikely to immediately reshape the midfield order.
Noah Nartey scores again as Lyon win at Anderlecht
Nartey made only his second start of the season against the Belgian side, following Lyon’s 2-0 Ligue 1 victory away to Toulouse on 22 August. He took his opportunity early, putting Lyon ahead in the eighth minute.
Kaïl Boudache beat Ludwig Augustinsson before delivering from the flank. Léo Pétrot headed the ball away, but it dropped at the edge of the area for Nartey. The Dane controlled calmly and finished past goalkeeper Colin Coosemans.
It was Nartey’s second goal of the campaign, matching his total from last season, when he made 15 appearances for Lyon. He will turn 21 on 5 October.
Signed from Brøndby in January for €7.5 million, Nartey is contracted to Lyon until 2030 and is also a Denmark Under-21 international.
Technical quality and defensive work
Used as the left-sided central midfielder alongside Tyler Morton and Tanner Tessmann, Nartey completed 95.5% of his passes. One Lyon build-up involving Nartey and Morton in the 37th minute drew applause from Anderlecht supporters, despite the visitors being in control of the match.
He did not see as much of the ball as some of his team-mates, making 37 touches compared with Clinton Mata’s team-high 57. But Nartey remained involved, recovering five balls and contesting 14 duels, although he won only three of them.
His showing was not flawless, but it offered another indication of the technical quality he can bring in possession and his willingness to work without the ball.
Goalkeeper Rémy Descamps praised Nartey’s composure in front of goal. “He brings finesse,” Descamps said. “With both of his goals, you can see that instinct. He adjusts his foot at the last moment and it ends in a goal each time. It is excellent for us to have a player with that quality and so many strengths in his game. It also helps the midfield.”
Fonseca keeps the competition open
Fonseca had insisted before the Anderlecht match that he trusted every player in his squad. Afterwards, he grouped Nartey’s contribution with the wider team performance rather than placing special emphasis on the midfielder’s display.
“It is difficult to single out individuals,” Fonseca said. “Everyone played a good match. Noah scored and gave a good answer, like the others.”
The Lyon coach spoke more warmly about Keito Nakamura, who scored on his first start in the 22nd minute, and about Boudache. Nartey, meanwhile, still appears to face a significant task if he is to force his way up Fonseca’s midfield hierarchy.
Before starting at Toulouse, Nartey had not begun a match since Lyon’s 2-0 Ligue 1 home win over Lorient on 12 April. His goals against Toulouse and Anderlecht have nevertheless reminded Fonseca that he is a credible option when Lyon need midfield depth.
SEO title: Noah Nartey scores in Lyon win at Anderlecht
SEO description: Noah Nartey scored in Lyon’s 2-1 win over Anderlecht on his second start of the season, but the Danish midfielder still faces strong competition for a regular place.
