Moussa Niakhate: Lyon defender worried about club’s recent dip in form

French Ligue 1 club, Olympique Lyon are gradually losing the grip on playing in the UEFA Champions League next season after dropping valuable home points against Paris FC in Ligue 1 last Sunday.

The dip in form has become a source of worry for Senegal defender Moussa Niakhaté who has explained the reasons behind the dire situation.

“Je ne sais pas si c’est bien d’être trop honnête, mais physiquement ça commence à être dur”

Constat lucide de l’homme du match Moussa Niakhaté 🇸🇳#OLPFC pic.twitter.com/5Ta2wKfnDZ

— L1+ (@ligue1plus) March 8, 2026

Moussa Niakhaté has 28 caps for the Senegal

“I don’t know if it’s the right thing to say, but I’ll be honest, physically it’s starting to get tough. We felt it from the start of the match because we wanted to play with intensity. But it was difficult to make the effort.

“If you saw players like Endrick or Tolisso on the bench, it’s not because we underestimated Paris FC, but quite the opposite, because Ligue 1 remains our priority.

“But when there are players who can’t start the match because they’re physically exhausted, well, that’s just how it is.” he reacted on Ligue 1+.

Niakhaté, who played six games in Senegal’s run up to their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations glory, has made 23 Ligue 1 appearances this season.

He has 28 caps for the two time African champions with club experience at Valenciennes, Metz, Mainz and Nottingham Forest.

Lyon now have 46 points

Lyon lost their third place in the standings and are starting to feel the effects of their recent struggles.

After an impressive run of thirteen consecutive victories in all competitions, Olympique Lyonnais have been a shadow of their former selves for the past few weeks.

Eliminated from the Coupe de France in the quarterfinals by Lens, they are also on a three-match winless streak in the league and have been overtaken by Marseille for third place.

Lyon now have 46 points, same as Marseille but the latter sit on 19-goals advantage after 25 league games this season.