ASSE-OL: Five memorable derbies

It’s more than just a football match. The Derby Rhône-Alpes between AS Saint-Étienne and Olympique Lyonnais is a clash of cities, of social identity, of pride—between an old mining town and a modern cultural capital just 50km apart.

Saint-Étienne, the working-class heartland, carved out a golden legacy in the 1970s, while Lyon, more affluent and cosmopolitan, took the regional reins in the 2000s under Jean-Michel Aulas and a golden generation of stars like Benzema, Juninho and Essien.

With ASSE fighting for Ligue 1 survival and OL fighting for Champions League qualifcation, this Sunday’s 123rd Derby du Rhône (20 April) carries enormous emotional weight. So, before kick-off, let’s relive five of Saint-Étienne and Lyon's wildest, most iconic derby wins in recent memory.

25 September 2010 – Payet’s Perfect Free-Kick Breaks the Curse (0-1)

After a decade of Lyon dominance, this felt monumental. Ligue 1 leaders Saint-Étienne travelled to Gerland to face an OL side slumped in 17th. The match itself was tight, tense, and cagey—until Dimitri Payet stepped up and cleaned out Lloris’ top corner with a stunning free-kick.

It was ASSE’s first derby win in Lyon since 1993, and their first at all in 16 attempts. The 100th derby felt like a turning point for a new generation of Stéphanois.

30 November 2014 – ASSE Finally Reign at Home (3-0, Saint-Étienne)

The derby had been Lyon’s playground, even in enemy territory. Sainté hadn’t beaten OL at home since 1994… until this night. Christophe Galtier’s side blew the roof off the Chaudron with a complete performance.

Bayal Sall, Van Wolfswinkel and Cohade got the goals, while Lacazette missed a penalty and hit the post in a nightmare evening for Lyon. For Sainté fans, this wasn’t just a derby — it was two decades of frustration released in 90 minutes.

5 November 2017 – Fékir’s Shirt Celebration Sparks Chaos (0-5, Lyon)

One of the most controversial and iconic Lyon wins ever. After dominating from start to finish, OL led 4-0 at the Chaudron when captain Nabil Fékir scored a solo goal… and provocatively held his shirt up to the Sainté fans à la Messi at the Bernabéu.

The reaction? Mayhem. ASSE ultras stormed the pitch, riot police intervened, and the game was paused for over 30 minutes. The 5-0 scoreline — Lyon’s biggest ever derby win — was secondary. This was the day Fékir became a Lyon legend, and a Sainté villain for life.

6 October 2019 – Beric’s Late Strike Sinks Lyon (1-0, Saint-Étienne)

Both teams were in freefall. Lyon had 1 win in 8; ASSE had 1 in 9. But in the Rhône derby, context melts in the fire of the moment. With the match locked at 0-0, Robert Beric pounced in the 90th minute to snatch an unlikely, seismic win.

Sylvinho was sacked as OL manager the next morning, and Sainté found a flicker of hope. Claude Puel had just taken charge, and in true derby fashion, he got revenge on the club that fired him two years earlier.

8 November 2015 – Lacazette’s farewell hat-trick at Gerland (3–0)

The last ever derby played at the Stade de Gerland couldn’t have had a more symbolic send-off. Alexandre Lacazette, Lyon’s homegrown talisman, scored all three goals in a dazzling performance. Stéphane Ruffier did his best to avoid a complete rout, but Lacazette's hat-trick ensured OL fans said goodbye to their historic ground in style. A night of jubilation for Les Gones.

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