Lyon and PSG have lessons to learn after careless performances in Europe | Ligue 1

Hubris cost Lyon last week and it almost cost PSG too. “We thought we were too good,” admitted Ousmane Dembélé after PSG conceded three goals at Villa Park and were nearly knocked out of the Champions League. “We eased off a bit. We thought it was over but big matches are like that,” said Malick Fofana after Lyon’s spectacular three-goal collapse against Manchester United did cost them a place in the Europa League semi-finals. “It is a match I won’t forget,” added Fofana, who knows that Lyon – like PSG – will have to re-engage if their season is to end well.

With a derby at Saint-Étienne on Sunday, Lyon had no time for a postmortem. But for Paulo Fonseca, one thing was clear. “We led 4-2 with one less player on the pitch but we celebrated the 4-2 too much when the match was not finished,” said the Lyon manager after his team’s 5-4 defeat at Old Trafford. “We should have thought about continuing to manage the match. We lacked experience at this moment,” he added.

A lack of experience has always been a go-to for Ligue 1 managers when explaining failures on the European stage. PSG are the youngest team in this season’s Champions League, but the numbers didn’t quite stack up for Lyon. The 10 men that completed the game at Old Trafford had an average age of 26.6 years, compared to Manchester United’s 26.7. Three teenagers were still on the pitch at full-time; all of them played for Manchester United.

European experience, one could argue, is another thing entirely and Manchester United’s superiority there becomes clear. On average, United’s finishing XI had 55.4 appearances in European competition per player compared to just 29.9 for Lyon. But for Lyon, this was also a story of experienced players failing to step up. “With the experience that I have, I should be smarter,” admitted Tolisso after his red card. And it was Lacazette, in what was almost certainly his final European game with his formative club, who led the excessive celebrations after his penalty.

“Manchester United is in the past,” said Fonseca before the derby against Saint-Étienne. But the scars of that haunting night at Old Trafford were still evident on Sunday as Lyon lost 2-1 in a match blighted by controversy. Lucas Stassin, who scored a brace, should have been sent off for a challenge on Tolisso in the 23rd minute – as admitted by the refereeing body post-match. And there was also a 20-minute suspension after a projectile thrown by a Saint-Étienne fan hit a linesman. “It’s ridiculous!” lambasted Fonseca’s assistant, Jorge Maciel.

Fonseca says he does not worry about his squad being “demobilised” by the defeat against Manchester United but, with the team now sixth in Ligue 1, he will need to refocus the squad if they are to avoid missing out on Champions League qualification.

The task facing PSG, who remain in the Champions League despite their first defeat in any competition since 26 November, is different. Luis Enrique says they have a “big motivation” to achieve an invincible season in Ligue 1 but, with the title secured three weeks ago, maintaining standards is difficult.

“It is always difficult for players to stay connected. I am lucky because our players are connected, even those that play less,” said the PSG manager. However, rotation can engender a loss of rhythm. Dembélé was rested for the 2-1 win over Le Havre on Saturday and has been used more regularly off the bench in Ligue 1. Achraf Hakimi will play no part against Nantes on Tuesday night.

Luis Enrique guarded his players against an “excess of confidence” before they travelled to Villa Park last week. “The Champions League path is paved with favourites that were eliminated along the way,” warned the Spaniard. Staying “connected” is the task that lies in wait for PSG, who are the best team in Europe on their day. They just don’t always have to show it.

It is not a question of the weakness of Ligue 1 harming PSG’s chances in the Champions League; that there is little at stake in their run-in is testament to their professionalism and consistency. Arsenal, no longer in the Premier League title race, are in a similar situation, allowing them to put all of their eggs into the Champions League basket. PSG’s humbling 2-0 defeat at the Emirates earlier this season should offset any notion of hubris but emerging from a “final sprint” in Ligue 1, which for Luis Enrique’s side is more of a saunter, and competing with one of Europe’s finest will be the true test of how far this side has come.

Talking points

Roberto De Zerbi’s unpredictable Marseille side predictably bounced back against relegation-bound Montpellier, scoring five goals in the process. Crisis is only ever a heartbeat away at the Vélodrome though and, despite this emphatic win, De Zerbi will introduce drastic measures this week, relocating the team to Rome for the next fortnight at least and potentially until the end of the season.

It will be the most extreme edition of the “commando camps” that have punctuated turbulent spells at the club this season, with their training centre perceived by some as a toxic environment. “I have never seen an environment where, when things aren’t going well, people inside the club try to stir up trouble. I’ve never experienced that,” sporting director Medhi Benatia told La Provence last week. Despite everything, Marseille are second in the table and on course to reach their major objective of the season.

Montpellier remain the only team in Europe’s 20 leagues not to have kept a clean sheet all season. They did at least end a run without scoring that stretched back nearly 800 minutes thanks to Lucas Mincarelli’s late consolation. La Paillade’s inevitable relegation is likely to be confirmed next weekend.

The fear of losing outweighed the desire to win as Champions League chasers Monaco and Strasbourg met at the Stade Louis II. With one disallowed goal apiece, the two sides saw out a tepid and uninspiring goalless draw. It was a physical encounter on the pitch with six yellows awarded. The big talking point came after the final whistle when there was a confrontation between the managers, with Liam Rosenior taking issue with Adi Hütter’s touchline etiquette.

“It started during the return fixture,” said the Englishman, who complained about the Monaco manager’s tardiness in shaking hands. “There is a code I live by: you respect your opposition, you respect the people that you play against. I felt that the code was broken. When I have to wait five minutes for the opposition manager’s hand, that says a lot.”

Strasbourg have dropped down to sixth in the table after two draws but some perspective is needed. They were fighting relegation 12 months ago and changed managers just days before the start of the season. Qualifying for any form of European football would be exceeding expectations.

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