Moussa Niakhaté has acknowledged that Olympique Lyonnais’ disappointing start to the campaign was largely of their own making, as he reflected on the club’s turnaround following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lille.
The Senegalese international, speaking to L’Équipe on Saturday, took collective responsibility for the turbulent opening months of Lyon’s Ligue 1 season, during which the club found themselves languishing near the bottom of the table.
“It wasn’t an ideal start to the season for me, but I knew I was going to get back on my feet,” said Niakhaté, who has since become a mainstay in the team’s defence. “The team also had some complications at the start of the season, it’s our fault. At Olympique Lyonnais, we have to be ready from the start of the season.”
Lyon, traditionally one of France’s elite clubs, struggled with form and cohesion early on, conceding heavily and lacking organisation at the back—something Niakhaté did not shy away from addressing.
“We conceded a lot of goals, the lines were very wide, a lot of bad things,” he admitted. “But work pays off. We faced up to our responsibilities. We worked.”
His remarks came after Lyon secured a vital win over Lille at Groupama Stadium, a result that has injected renewed hope into their push for a top-half finish.
Niakhaté featured prominently in the match, marking his 25th appearance of the season—24 of which have come as a starter.
The defender’s consistency has been instrumental in Lyon’s recent improvement.
Under increasing scrutiny, the club has managed to stabilise its performances, with players like Niakhaté helping to anchor a defence that had appeared porous in the early stages of the campaign.
His forthright comments underline a shift in attitude within the Lyon dressing room—one that places accountability and collective effort at the heart of their resurgence.
As the season enters its final stretch, Lyon will be hoping that the lessons learned from a chaotic start can propel them toward a stronger finish.
For Niakhaté, it is also a personal redemption arc. After a rocky beginning to life at Lyon, his return to form has mirrored the team’s own revival.
And with several key fixtures remaining, both player and club have every reason to believe that a difficult season can still end on a high.
