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Lyon make winning start with victory in Toulouse

Olympique Lyonnais began their Ligue 1 campaign with a 2-0 victory away to Toulouse, as Noah Nartey and Malick Fofana struck in the second half to secure all three points for Paulo Fonseca’s much-changed side.
G.BOXALL
Published on 08/22/2026 at 20:40
2-minute read
Olympique Lyonnais began their Ligue 1 campaign with a 2-0 victory away to Toulouse, as Noah Nartey and Malick Fofana struck in the second half to secure all three points for Paulo Fonseca’s much-changed side.

With the decisive second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off against Fenerbahçe coming just four days later, Lyon made significant changes for their opening league fixture of the season. Fonseca handed opportunities to several younger players, with Clinton Mata captaining a starting XI featuring the likes of Nartey, Jérémy Duranville, Khalis Merah Boudache and Mathys De Carvalho.

Toulouse nevertheless made the brighter start at the Stadium. Santiago Hidalgo and Alejo Vignolo caused problems for the Lyon defence, while goalkeeper Rémy Descamps was required to intervene on several occasions.

Vignolo came closest to breaking the deadlock midway through the first half. After a corner was only partially cleared, the Argentine fired from a tight angle and saw Descamps turn his effort onto the post. Hidalgo then had another opportunity shortly before half-time, but his effort lacked the power to beat the Lyon goalkeeper.

Nartey makes the breakthrough

The visitors grew into the contest after the break, although Toulouse continued to threaten. Thomas Jørgensen produced one of the moments of the match when he dribbled beyond several Lyon players before firing narrowly over.

Fonseca then turned to his bench, introducing Fofana and Pavel Šulc on the hour mark before Corentin Tolisso and Tyler Morton followed shortly afterwards. The changes soon paid off.

Lyon opened the scoring in the 66th minute with an excellent team move. Fofana drove forward from the left before a sequence of first-time passes around the Toulouse area. Šulc drew several defenders towards him and Nartey took advantage of the space, guiding a precise effort into the bottom corner from distance.

It was a deserved reward for an impressive performance from the Danish midfielder, who marked the opening weekend with his first goal of the season.

Fofana seals the points

Toulouse attempted to respond, but the opening goal allowed Lyon to take greater control of the contest. The hosts' best chance of finding an equaliser came when Boudache was caught in possession inside the area, only for Clinton Mata to intervene as Toulouse looked to capitalise.

Instead, Lyon made sure of the victory five minutes from time. Tolisso found Fofana, who cut inside before sending a right-footed strike into the far corner to double the visitors' advantage.

A 2-0 victory represents an ideal start to the new Ligue 1 campaign for OL, particularly given the extent of Fonseca’s rotation. Lyon can now turn their attention back to Europe as they prepare to face Fenerbahçe in the return leg of their Champions League play-off, with the tie finely poised following a 1-1 draw in the first meeting.

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