Olympique Lyonnais suffered a heavy defeat in their opening Ligue 1 match, losing 3-0 to Stade Rennais.
Offensively poor, Lyon failed to trouble the Rennes defence with only two shots on target. And defensively, the central defensive pairing of Duje Caleta-Car and Moussa Niakhaté was far from convincing.
Niakhaté, the most expensive signing in Lyon’s history at €32 million, delivered a performance that could only be described as catastrophic. With a terrible pass to Lucas Perri in the 20th minute that allowed Amine Gouiri to double Rennes’ lead, the 28-year-old Senegalese international displayed a disconcerting lack of composure.
What’s even more puzzling is that Lyon allowed Jake O’Brien to leave for less than €20 million and then recruited Moussa Niakhaté for a record fee of €32 million, despite the fact that he wasn’t a regular starter at Nottingham Forest last season.
John Textor’s decision is highly questionable, especially considering Niakhaté’s age. Lyon is more likely to make a loss on this transfer than a profit.
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