Strasbourg deny Lyon win
Paris, May 13: Lyon blew the chance to secure a place in next season’s Champions League as Strasbourg staged a thrilling late comeback to snatch a 3-2 victory and ensure safety in French league on Saturday.
Fourth-placed Marseille’s 3-3 draw at Guingamp on Friday had left the door open for Lyon, but instead they lost second place to Monaco on a dramatic evening as Fabinho’s 90th-minute penalty grabbed the principality club victory over Saint-Etienne.
Lyon led with only a minute of normal time to play, but Joia Nuno Da Costa’s header and Dimitri Lienard’s brilliant injury-time free-kick gave Strasbourg a famous victory.
Monaco, who are now two points clear of Lyon with one game remaining, visit lowly Troyes on the final day of the season on May 19, when OL host Nice and Marseille — just one point further back — face Amiens.
Strasbourg, who stunned champions Paris SaintGermain at their Stade de la Meinau earlier this season, claimed a shock 22ndminute lead as Lyon fell apart at the back.
Mouctar Diakhaby, filling in for the suspended Marcelo at centre-back, inexplicably allowed a simple ball forward to reach Stephane Bahoken.
The Cameroonian did the rest, drilling a shot through the legs of Lyon goalkeeper Mathieu Gorgelin — also playing in place of suspended firstchoice stopper Anthony Lopes.
Lyon were gifted a chance to level shortly after half-time as Nabil Fekir tumbled to the ground with Strasbourg centre-back Pablo Martinez in close attention, before picking himself up to slam home his 18th league goal of the season.
Teenager Houssem Aouar raced through with 17 minutes to play, slotting home his sixth goal of the season to put Lyon on the brink of a return to Europe’s premier competition.
But Bruno Genesio’s men fell to pieces at the death, with Da Costa heading home in the 89th minute and Lienard sending a searing set-piece into the top corner in the fourth minute of added time.
Meanwhile, Monaco left it late, but Fabinho’s spotkick was enough for a 1-0 win over Saint-Etienne which means only an unlikely series of results next week would deny them Champions League qualification.