In the first half of the season, it was clear that Ligue 1 leader Lyon had something special on their hands. The team had made some significant signings and had already shown a lot of promise with their young talent such as Jean-Michel Aulas, but there was still much room to improve.
On January 29th, they played a crucial match against Nice in which they needed a win to qualify for the Europa League. With only one point left to play for, the team knew they had to make sure they were not going to miss out on the opportunity to qualify for Europe.
Unfortunately, they did not get what they wanted. After being held scoreless for most of the game, they were eventually denied by a last minute goal from Nice goalkeeper, David de Gea. This loss meant that Lyon would have to play in the Europa League group stage against the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain.
But despite the defeat, Lyon showed resilience and determination to come back strong. They rallied behind coach Jean-Michel Aulas, who had been instrumental in guiding them to the league title and the Champions League quarterfinals. And with the help of their talented players like Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé, they were able to pull off the upset and secure a valuable draw.
The following week, they went on the road to face fellow Europa League hopefuls Monaco. Despite a poor start to the match, they fought hard and managed to level the score after 78 minutes through a penalty kick from Griezmann. However, Monaco were able to hold on for a victory and move into the Europa League group stage.
It was a tough trip, but Lyon proved themselves once again. They came back stronger and more determined than ever, and they emerged victorious in their next match against PSV Eindhoven. In this match, they won comfortably and advanced to the semi-finals.
Overall, it was a disappointing end to the season for Lyon, but they showed great resilience and determination to come back strong when things got tough. Their performance in the Europa League group stage was another testament to their ability to rise above adversity and continue to compete at the highest level of football.