Lyon in winter wonderland after sealing Champions League last-16 berth
KIEV: Nabil Fekir fired Lyon into the Champions League last 16 for the first time in seven years after bagging the crucial equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the driving snow in Kiev on Wednesday.
Fekir struck for the away side in the 65th minute to cancel out Junior Moraes’ 22nd- minute opener for Shakhtar, who had to win at their temporary home of the some 700 kilometres from Donetsk to leapfrog Lyon into second place in Group F.
“There’s a lot of emotion, joy, pride and relief as it was difficult this evening. We deserved the result and qualification,” Lyon coach Bruno Genesio told RMC Sport.
“I’m very proud of the players because we came here to play and didn’t come away from home to play for a draw. I’m really pleased that Nabil scored the goal as people have been questioning him of late.”
Lyon held off Shakhtar, who are playing at the Olympic Stadium in the Ukrainian capital after martial law was declared in the country’s border regions amid tensions with Russia, to keep hold of second spot and a place in the knockout stages, five points behind group winners Manchester City.
It looked for much of the match that Lyon were destined to be knocked out in freezing Kiev, after missing a hatload of chances before Fekir finally curled home the crucial leveller.
“We did everything we could to keep hold of the lead, we couldn’t do it... the individual quality of Fekir made the difference,” said Shakhtar coach Paulo Fonseca.
Moraes’ opener, Shakhtar’s only shot of the first half and slipped home after neat work from the lively Ismaily on the left, came just three minutes after Lyon missed the best chance of a host of goalscoring opportunities passed up on the night.
Bertrand Traore was slipped through by a superb pass from Houssem Aouar, but faced with Shakhtar keeper Andriy Pyatov, the Burkinabe attacker scuffed his shot into the stopper’s trailing foot. — AFP