Mândrescu a Mândragora: Romanian runs riot in Plzeň
David Mândrescu scored two and made two as Olympique Lyonnais won 4-2 at Viktoria Plzeň, a 9.6-rated night that answered Lyon's tired legs with a striker in full voice.
Who said Lyon were running on fumes? David Mândrescu, that's who answered, and he answered in Plzeň with two goals, two assists and a 9.6 rating on a night when Olympique Lyonnais needed someone to carry the noise.
It was loud, the kind of European away night that tests a squad's legs. Lyon had 61% of the ball, 20 shots, 10 on target. Plzeň had 11 shots and 1.94 expected goals of their own, and they made it 4-2 in the end, so this was no stroll. It was a scrap with a Romanian at the heart of it.
Mândrescu played the 90 minutes and covered 12.6 km. Seven shots, four on target, four key passes. He was the player of the match, and he did it with Javi pulling strings beside him (seven key passes, 13.8 km) and Jordan Raynaud driving from left-back.
Lyon lost Aoula Diarra to injury on 45+2', the striker who had taken Franck Ekwalla's slot after the regular's sprained knee ligaments. On came Benjamin Kauffmann, and he made an assist and four dribbles. Plzeň's kids ran themselves into the ground: Patrik Bečka, 16, went off injured at 90+7', Peter Bartos scored, Paweł Rakowski assisted. Turgut Şahin never left the bench.
Lyon's week has been all forward motion. Cifuentes ran riot against Lorient not long ago, and the league summit is still theirs on goal difference over Nantes. This was the European night that could have gone flat. Mândrescu made sure it didn't.
Two goals, two assists, a woodwork strike from someone in blue, and a win that keeps Lyon's autumn rolling. The city expects. Last night, the Romanian delivered.