A brilliant second-half comeback saw French champions Lyon claim a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina at the Stade Gerland.
French champions claim draw
A brilliant second-half comeback saw French champions Lyon claim a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina at the Stade Gerland.
The Italians had looked like picking up all three points from their opening game in the UEFA Champions League Group F as Alberto Gilardno headed home twice in the first-half.
But Lyon hauled themselves level with goals from substitute Frederic Piquionne and Karim Benzema.
Lyon had started the game brightly and Mathieu Bodmer hit the bar from a corner, before Fred turned the rebound round the post.
Indeed Fiorentina had not really even seen the Lyon box when with their first meaningful attack they took the lead.
The impressive Sergio Almiron crossed into the box, but Jean-Alain Boumsong could only clear as far as Luciano Zauri and he crossed first-time straight onto the head of Gilardino to guide the ball home.
French keeper Sebastian Frey was in good form on his return to his homeland and he was forced into a good stop form his own man as Juan Vargas slid in on the edge of the box - but the ball flew straight at his own goal - but Frey was on hand.
At the other end Hugo Lloris was also been tested and he flapped poorly at an Almiron cross - but he then denied the Brazilian with a finger tip save as he unleashed a free-kick from 35-yards.
Lloris was then on hand to bail out Boumsong as he tried to dribble the ball out of defence, he was disposed by Adrian Mutu and the ball came for the Romanian in the box - but the Lyon keeper was off his line sharply and saved well with one hand.
Frey then denied Juninho and Jeremy Toulalan, but he was stranded as Fred headed at goal - but the Brazilian could not find the target.
Then just before the break Fiorentina claimed the crucial second goal. It was yet more poor defending from Lyon as Mutu broke down the right.
The Romanian crossed for Gilardino at the back post and, with Bodmer and Boumsong purely looking on, he headed easily past Lloris.
Pressure
The second half was an archetypal defensive display from the Italians as they sat back and invited Lyon to break them down.
Lyon knew getting Benzema into the game was crucial to their chances and they got him involved more and more. A good individual run from the French striker saw Frey at full stretch to save.
Lyon finally did make the breakthrough on 73 minutes. Benzema was the creator as he broke into the box and crossed for substitute Piquionne to convert from close-range. All this transpired with Zauri down injured in the box.
The two teams squared up as Fiorentina furiously protested that the goal should not have stood as they claimed Zauri was down in the box with a head injury. But the referee allowed the goal and booked Benzema and Gilardino for their parts in the ruckus.
Lyon were now encamped in Fiorentina's half and Toulalan almost levelled with a spectacular volley on the edge of the box but Frey managed to punch the ball clear.
Fiorentina were giving away free-kick after free-kick, but Juninho's deliveries all evening had been poor - but with ten minutes left he got one right.
But he fouled the Fiorentina defence as he shaped to shoot, but instead he slipped a pass behind the ball for Benzema and he fired the ball past the unfortunate Frey to secure an unlikely point for Lyon.
| Lyon |
Team Statistics |
Fiorentina |
| 2 |
Goals |
2 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
2 |
| 9 |
Shots on Target |
5 |
| 14 |
Shots off Target |
4 |
| 4 |
Blocked Shots |
2 |
| 13 |
Corners |
3 |
| 11 |
Fouls |
22 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
4 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 76.5 |
Passing Success |
63.1 |
| 19 |
Tackles |
37 |
| 73.7 |
Tackles Success |
75.7 |
| 60.6 |
Possession |
39.4 |
| 57.5 |
Territorial Advantage |
42.5 |
|
