Europa League: Tolisso, back in force
Continuing to deliver top-notch performances since the beginning of the season, Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso, at 30 years old, is experiencing a renaissance and establishing himself as a crucial element of OL, ahead of the showdown against Besiktas on Thursday in the Europa League (9 PM).
Following their 4-0 victory over Le Havre on Sunday in Ligue 1, Olympique Lyonnais is on a streak of five consecutive wins across all competitions and will look to solidify their form against the Istanbul club, currently 2nd in the Turkish league but at the bottom of the standings in the Europa League.
The two teams had already met in the quarter-finals of the competition in 2017, with Tolisso equalizing to make it 1-1 in the 83rd minute before Jérémy Morel secured the victory for Lyon a minute later (2-1).
The Rhône club then advanced to the semi-finals after a penalty shootout in the return leg in Turkey.
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Rediscovered Consistency –
“We are stringing together victories and the squad is in good spirits. We are in a good dynamic. Now our focus turns to Thursday and the match against Besiktas,” explained Tolisso, who has featured in all ten matches for his team this season, including two in the Europa League, and scored a goal.
This consistency is a new development since his return to Lyon two years ago, after spending five years at Bayern Munich where he was transferred in June 2017 for forty million euros.
In Germany, he won five Bundesliga titles, a Champions League (2020), a UEFA Super Cup (2020), a Club World Cup (2020), along with a World Cup in 2018 with the French national team, where he has not been called up since 2021 and has earned 28 caps.
At OL, these two years were physically challenging before he was finally able to establish himself as the leader that both the management and fans had hoped for when he returned alongside Alexandre Lacazette.
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Close to the National Team? –
“I found Corentin Tolisso very precise in his forward passes. He has been impressive since the start of the season, displaying an international level with his work rate and quality. He has nothing to envy from those in the French national team,” stated former OL striker and international player (49 caps), Sidney Govou, in his weekly column for Le Progrès.
“He needs to continue playing consistently, but his various resources, psychological, emotional, physiological, are at their peak. The best way to maintain confidence is to show effectiveness. When the level of resources is low, efficiency will be reduced,” emphasized his coach, Pierre Sage, at the end of September.
“As long as he is in good health, he can keep playing and showcasing his talent,” reiterated Sage.
“He has set ambitious personal goals. He is a different player now, drawing strength from his past experiences, close to that level with a higher maturity. He is someone who cares a lot about others, lifting them up,” Sage further shared.
“On the field, he brings two essential elements: the ability to get forward, often in the box, and also a lot of defensive work rate, two key aspects that align with our style of play,” praised the coach.
