
Key strength: Pace and recovery
Overlapping full-back
Sitting third in the table, Olympique Lyon's European ambitions are being driven by their attacking talents, yet in the defensive rotation lurks a veteran presence still fighting for relevance. At 32 years old, Dutch right-back Hans Hateboer has managed just two appearances totaling 180 minutes this season—a stark reflection of his diminished standing in a squad boasting higher-rated talents like Pavel Sulc and Corentin Tolisso. With zero goals and assists across his limited minutes and a concerningly low rating of 42, the €2.5m-valued former Atalanta stalwart is struggling to justify the overlapping full-back role that once defined his game. Once celebrated for his pace and recovery abilities—now rated at just 45 in FIFA's pace metric—the Netherlands international finds himself on the periphery at a critical juncture of his career. As Lyon push for Champions League qualification, Hateboer's window to recapture his form and extend his top-flight career narrows with each match he watches from the sidelines.