Lyon boss praises Dominik Greif while criticising rest of squad as Slovak keeper speaks out

Florian Sotoca opened the scoring late in the first half on a rain-soaked pitch with his first goal of the season, beating Greif on the turn from just outside the six-yard box. Matthieu Udol doubled the hosts' lead from a free kick in the 76th minute. However, Udol was later shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on runaway teenager Khalis Merah, who then pulled one back with Lyon's only goal following a cross into the box.

The visitors spent the remainder of the match camped in the final third but were unable to find an equaliser. Greif even pushed forward into the opposition penalty area for a stoppage-time corner and, despite conceding twice, recorded five saves—three of them from clear-cut opportunities. Lens brought an end to a four-game winless run in the league to move up to seventh, securing a welcome morale boost ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at home to Sporting CP.

Lens boss Yannick Cahuzac claimed his first victory in charge since replacing Dino Toppmöller, who was dismissed last month after only six matches at the helm. Meanwhile, his counterpart Paulo Fonseca pointed to the disruptive impact of the international break.

“We had problems defensively because the gaps between the lines were too large and we didn't press the way we wanted to. In possession, we gave the ball away far too quickly. We handed the first 45 minutes to Lens. I don't want to make excuses, but the reality is that we only had one day to prepare. Under those circumstances, it's very difficult to get ready for a game, though I don't think that's an excuse,” said the Portuguese manager.

The packed international window also took a toll on Greif, who played three Nations League fixtures across 11 days and played a key role in the 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands. Lyon arrived at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis boasting the league's best defensive record, having conceded just two goals in five matches, with the Slovak goalkeeper largely responsible for that run.

“He played very well and it showed, because the rest of the team didn't do what they were supposed to. Normally, we don't concede many chances to our opponents, but that wasn't the case this time, and Dominik had an excellent game,” Fonseca stated.

“I'm always trying to improve and work as best as I can. It's a shame the international break disrupted our momentum, but there are certain situations I'm not happy with,” the 29-year-old goalkeeper told the French media.