‘If we want to be a big team…’ – Rayan Cherki’s furious reaction to Lyon’s defeat to Marseille

Down to 10 men from the fifth minute after Leonardo Balerdi’s red card, Olympique de Marseille miraculously went on to beat Olympique Lyonnais in Sunday’s Olympico. 

Despite losing Balerdi, Marseille continued to be positive and were dangerous on the break throughout. Having broken OM’s resistance through Duje Caleta-Car at the start of the second half, Lyon were expected to run away with the game, but that didn’t happen. 

Instead, Pol Lirola equalised before Ulisses Garcia gave Les Phocéens a shock lead. Then, up stepped Rayan Cherki, re-integrated into the first-team set-up after signing a contract extension earlier that day. The France youth international netted a 93rd-minute equaliser just 10 minutes after coming on. 

Lyon pushed for the victory but, against the odds, it was Marseille who took all three points through Jonathan Rowe’s stunning curled effort in the 95th minute. Speaking to DAZN post-match, Cherki expressed his anger at the result. 

“It’s shameful. They were down to 10 men from the fifth minute. For years and years here, we lead and then we just go backwards. It’s all the time […] at some point, if we want to be a big team, we will have to, when we lead teams, bury teams that come here,” said Cherki. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle