Rayan Cherki was handed a rare start for Lyon against Sochaux and the talented prospect made it count.
The 17-year-old played on the right of a front three as Lyon earned a comprehensive 5-2 win in the Coupe de France.
Cherki was the star of the show and here are all the key details of his performance.
Lyon v Sochaux: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
⚽ ⏱️ 45′ After opening goals from Djamel Benlamri and Maxwel Cornet, Cherki got Lyon’s third of the night. Having been set up by the impressive Houssem Aouar (7.7), the youngster converted a left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
⏱️ 77′ A delivery from Cherki is headed in by defender Jason Denayer, moving Lyon 4-2 ahead and putting the result beyond doubt.
⚽ ⏱️ 87′ After an assist from Islam Slimani, Cherki caps a fine night by smashing into the top corner from the centre of the box, this time scoring with his right foot.
As well as his headline two goals and one assist, Cherki had six shots, second only to Aouar. One of those was an effort from the halfway line which almost stunned Sochaux goalkeeper Mehdi Jeannin.
He racked up a game-high five attempts on target and completed 97 per cent of his 60 passes, the best rate of any starter.
“We had a good collective performance even if we conceded too many goals,” Cherki said.
“I like to play with Islam Slimani. We are looking for each other all the time.”
〽️ Cherki: Rating Week-on-Week
✔ IMPROVEMENT
In a season where Cherki has largely been deployed as a substitute, this was comfortably his best performance to date.
A 9.6 FC Rating was a huge improvement on the 5.9 he had registered last time out as a late substitute in the Ligue 1 draw with Marseille.
It was also better than the creditable 7.4 he recorded in the last game he started – the 5-1 win against AC Ajaccio in the last round.
🗝️ Key Stats
Cherki match stats
| Statistic |
Value |
Notes |
| FC Rating |
9.6 |
Rank #1 |
| Mins Played |
90 |
|
| Goals |
2 |
Rank =#1 |
| Assists |
1 |
Rank =#2 |
| Shots |
6 |
Rank #2 |
| Shots on target |
5 |
Rank #1 |
| Touches in Box |
8 |
Rank =#1 |
Cherki: What Next?
Stade de Reims are Lyon’s next opponents on Friday.
If they win that, it will set up a tantalising clash against PSG in Ligue 1 on March 21 that will have title implications.
Cherki has only started three league matches this season, but must have boosted his chances of selection here.
Prior to the match he had talked about this being a “learning season” and understanding it was not possible to play 90 minutes every week, as much as he would like to.
Coach Rudi Garcia said: “It was a very excellent match for Cherki.
“There is a lot of satisfaction. We have to focus on Reims now – that’s very important.”
Rayan Cherki: Season stats, playing positions and recent form
Lyon v Sochaux: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
