Lyon left Anderlecht with a 2-1 Europa League victory on Wednesday night, but Paulo Fonseca’s satisfaction came as much from his side’s resistance as from the quality of its opening spell. After failing to turn several chances into a 3-0 lead, OL had to defend together through a difficult finish in Belgium.
Fonseca praises Lyon’s complete display in Anderlecht win
SEO Title: Paulo Fonseca hails Lyon’s collective response after Anderlecht win
SEO Description: Paulo Fonseca said Lyon deserved their 2-1 Europa League win at Anderlecht, praising the first-half control and the defensive work of Keito Nakamura and Kaïl Boudache.
The move
Fonseca believed Lyon had earned the result through an outstanding first half, in which his team controlled possession, dominated the match and created clear opportunities.
“We faced a good team, but I think we deserved to win here because our first half was magnificent,” Fonseca said after the match.
Lyon then had four opportunities to put the contest beyond Anderlecht’s reach by scoring a third goal. They did not take them, and the home side responded strongly in the second half.
Fonseca nevertheless took encouragement from Lyon’s closing work. He said the team recognised the moment when it had to stand together defensively and handled that phase well.
“It is important to win matches like this,” he said. “I liked the way we dominated in the first half, controlled the ball and created chances. In the second half we started well and had several chances to make it 3-0. But I also really liked the final part of the game, when the team understood that it was time to be together.”
The French season around it
The Europa League night offered Lyon another test of its capacity to combine control with resilience. Fonseca highlighted two players whose performances illustrated both sides of that balance: Keito Nakamura’s composure in possession and Kaïl Boudache’s willingness to work back.
- Keito Nakamura: Fonseca described him as a distinctive player with strong technique, sound decision-making and an ability to protect the ball. He praised Nakamura’s judgement in choosing when to attack and when to retain possession.
- Kaïl Boudache: Fonseca singled out the player’s courage on the ball, his pace and his readiness to take individual initiative. Most importantly, the coach noted that Boudache tracked back into Lyon’s own penalty area two or three times to support the defence.
Fonseca called Boudache a technically strong player of quality, while stressing that his defensive contribution at Anderlecht mattered greatly in securing the 2-1 result.
