Fournier hails Lacazette-less Lyon

Lyon coach Hubert Fournier hailed his team’s ability to pick up a result without injured striker Alexandre Lacazette away to Monaco.

Lyon coach Hubert Fournier was excited to see his team earn a draw away to one of Ligue 1’s biggest clubs on Sunday, particularly with key striker Alexandre Lacazette out injured.

Monaco were held to a 0-0 draw by Lyon in round 23 and Fournier was thrilled with how his team managed to extend their unbeaten league run to eight games without their leading goal-scorer.

Lacazette leads the Ligue 1 goal-scoring table with 21 goals this season, seven ahead of Marseille’s Andre-Pierre Gignac, but despite Monaco (seven) having more shots than Lyon (five) on Sunday, the visitors hit the target more often and Hubert claimed they could have won.

“We had virtues of solidarity and self-sacrifice,” Hubert told Lyon’s online channel OLTV.

“We see that even without Alex Lacazette one is able to get a result in one of the most successful teams in the championship.

“We had a few spaces [chances] but we did not have the resources to exploit them.”

Lacazette’s hamstring injury could also see him miss Lyon’s clash with Paris Saint-Germain in a week’s time.

Monaco midfielder Jeremy Toulalan insisted, however, that it was his side that had shaded the contest at the Stade Louis II.

“I think we had the better chances throughout,” Toulalan said.

“We’re on a nice set [run].

“The championship is still long, [we] still can catch up the gap to the podium.

“For that, you have to stay strong as it is for two or three months.”