Lyon defeat Nice 3-2 for Champions League spot
paris — Memphis Depay struck a wonderful hat trick as Lyon fought back to beat Nice 3-2 at the Groupama Stadium on Saturday to qualify for the Champions League from Ligue 1 at the expense of Marseille.
Monaco saw off relegated Troyes 3-0 to wrap up second spot behind champions Paris Saint-Germain, as Bruno Genesio’s Lyon finished one point clear of Marseille in third after a dramatic final day of the season.
It capped a miserable week for beaten Europa League finalists Marseille, who will have to make do with a return to Europe’s second-tier competition despite beating Amiens 2-1.
Nice missed out on the Europa League with Saturday’s defeat, and coach Lucien Favre announced he was leaving the club after the game.
Marseille’s defeat by Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in Lyon had ensured that the third-placed finishers in Ligue 1 would join the top two in the group stage of Europe’s premier competition, rather than face the qualifying rounds.
“The group this year has done very well, it is a fair reward to finish third,” Lyon captain Nabil Fekir told French television, before refusing to commit his future to the club.
“I don’t know, frankly. I gave everything at Lyon, we’ll see for the future. It hasn’t been perfect this season, but it’s a good finish.”
Lyon were the first of the three sides in contention to slip up, as Alassane Plea raced clean through on goal and fired through the legs of home goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to put Nice ahead.
OL desperately needed a quick leveller after half-time and Depay provided just that.
Fekir did excellently to twist into space and square for Depay to tap home.
Depay has arguably been the best player in France during the latter stages of the season, and the Dutchman produced the moment of magic needed to send Lyon into the Champions League.
The former Manchester United flop showed magnificent creativity and execution to roll a free-kick under the wall and into the bottom corner to score his 18th goal of the campaign and his ninth in as many games. —