Alexandre Lacazette made it five goals from two Ligue 1 games this season as his brace of penalties allowed Olympique Lyonnais to beat Stade Malherbe Caen 2-0 on Friday and continue their perfect start to the French season.
Lacazette’s first penalty came in the 31st minute and he netted again in the fifth minute of stoppage time after an occasionally nervy second half for Lyon at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
The goals gave last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up six points from a possible six after Lacazette’s hat-trick secured a 3-0 win away at promoted AS Nancy-Lorraine on the opening weekend.
Photo: Reuters
Lacazette, who scored 48 league goals in the past two seasons, has been linked with big-money moves to Premier League sides Arsenal and West Ham United this summer, but Lyon coach Bruno Genesio has insisted he is going nowhere.
The 25-year-old, not part of the France squad at Euro 2016, has indicated he wants to play Champions League soccer and his current club features in next week’s draw for the group stage of that competition.
“Alexandre Lacazette is carrying on from where he left off in the second half of last season,” Genesio said. “He is in good shape physically and mentally and is scoring goals, but also playing a big part for the team on the whole.”
Lacazette’s goals allowed Lyon to extend their unbeaten record at home since moving into their new stadium in January, although it was not always easy for Lyon against the side from Normandy.
The hosts, for whom summer signing Maciej Rybus of Poland made his debut, started strongly and were handed the chance to open the scoring on the half-hour mark.
Ivan Santini stopped a Corentin Tolisso header in the box with his arm and Lacazette sent goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre the wrong way.
That was all that separated the sides at the interval and Caen nearly equalized three minutes into the second half when 18-year-old Yann Karamoh, starting a Ligue 1 game for the first time, struck the bar.
Former Lyon midfielder Steed Malbranque saw his late shot saved by Anthony Lopes as the hosts held on before winning another penalty right at the end.
Syam Ben Youssef fouled Jordan Ferri in the area and again Lacazette converted the penalty to secure all three points.
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