Assessing Lyon’s Dismal Start to the Season – Could OL Suffer Ligue 1 Relegation

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With eight matches in the books, winless Lyon find themselves second from bottom in Ligue 1.

Here, Forebet discusses the worst-ever start to a season for one of France’s most successful clubs.

Lyon started their campaign with a 2-1 defeat against Strasbourg before enduring a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Montpellier.

Following two goalless draws and another 4-1 thrashing against Paris Saint-Germain, the club parted ways with manager Laurent Blanc.

Fabio Grosso was appointed as Blanc’s successor on September 18, but the 45-year-old Italian has failed to steady the ship, taking one point from his opening three games.

After losing 1-0 to Brest in his first match as Lyon boss, Grosso oversaw a 2-0 defeat to Reims.

Last time out, OL recorded a wild 3-3 draw against Lorient, throwing away a two-goal lead to remain winless in 2023-24.

As Ligue 1 prepares to resume following the October international break, things look bleak for Lyon.

Indeed, Les Gones have managed to take just three points from a possible 24 this season, recording three draws and five defeats.

Not only do Lyon possess the second-worst defensive record in the French top flight, but they also have the second-worst offensive record.

With six goals scored and 16 conceded, OL possess the league’s worst goal difference (-10).

Due to Lyon’s woeful start to the season, the question on everyone’s lips is – will one of the most successful clubs in the history of French football suffer relegation this term?

Let’s not forget that Lyon dominated Ligue 1 during the 2000s, winning seven consecutive titles between 2001-02 and 2007-08.

Since then, Les Gones have registered eight top-three finishes, remaining a threat to PSG.

This season, however, Lyon will be lucky to finish in the top half of the table, let alone the top three.

Grosso’s side already find themselves eight points shy of the top half and five points inside the bottom three.

Granted, OL lost several key players during the summer transfer window, including Bradley Barcola, Castello Lukeba, Romain Faivre, Karl Toko Ekambi and Moussa Dembele, but their squad still has quality.

It is still early days, of course, but the early signs do not look good for Lyon.

If they carry on the way they’re going, one of France’s most successful clubs could be involved in a serious relegation battle.