Maitland-Niles scores winner after serious Lacazette injury drama | OneFootball

Olympique Lyonnais’s victory over Brest was overshadowed by a serious injury to their star striker, Alexandre Lacazette.

The former Arsenal captain was knocked unconscious in a collision with the Brest goalkeeper, leading to a lengthy stoppage and his eventual exit on a stretcher.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, also formerly of Arsenal, went on to score the decisive penalty in this dramatic encounter.

A thrilling 4-3 victory for Olympique Lyonnais over Brest was marred by a serious injury to former Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette. The striker, who scored a crucial goal earlier in the match, was knocked unconscious in a collision with Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

The incident occurred when Lacazette was chasing a long ball. Bizot rushed out of his goal and collided with Lacazette, causing the Lyon captain to collapse. He remained on the pitch for several minutes, receiving medical attention, before being stretchered off.

Lyon coach Pierre Sage expressed concern after the match: “We hope that he will have additional examinations fairly quickly. We are a little worried but we believe that if he is strong, he will be strong at all times, even this one. We will accompany him a lot. He went to get something for the team. And when we talk about sacrifice, he imagined it in another way.”

Former OL president Jean-Michel Aulas drew comparisons to the infamous 1982 World Cup incident involving Harald Schumacher and Patrick Battiston: “I hope Alexandre is well because he took a terrible shock which reminded me of Schumacher.”

Despite the concerning scene, the match continued. Referee Mathieu Vernice awarded a penalty to Lyon, which Ainsley Maitland-Niles, another former Arsenal player, calmly converted to secure the dramatic 4-3 victory.