Lyon secure late triumph against 10-man Strasbourg in Ligue 1
In an exciting climax, Afonso Moreira delivered a brilliant goal in the dying moments to give Lyon a vital 2-1 win at home in Ligue 1 versus Strasbourg reduced to 10 players on Sunday.
The young team led by Liam Rosenior opened the scoring at Groupama Stadium with a header from Joaquin Panichelli, but then Ismael Doukoure unluckily put the ball into his own net and soon after got a direct red card for a reckless challenge.
Lyons skipper Corentin Tolisso wasted a penalty in the first half for his team, making it appear as though their shot at reaching the top four had slipped away.
Yet, the impact substitute Moreira turned things around with his late brilliance, propelling Lyon to fourth spot with 18 points, as Strasbourg hold seventh position, trailing by two points.
Victory for the away side could have lifted them to second, trailing only defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who triumphed 3-0 at Brest the day before.
Strasbourg struck first on the 25th minute, with Argentine striker Panichelli nodding in neatly following a superb team effort.
The advantage held for just six minutes until the unlucky Doukoure bundled a cross from Malick Fofana into his own goal.
Lyon soon got a prime chance to take control when the referee ruled that Valentin Barco had fouled Corentin Tolisso inside the penalty area, a call upheld after a VAR check on the field.
Goalkeeper Mike Penders made the most of the pause to review notes from Strasbourgs coaching team and blocked Tolissos spot kick with his feet in the 42nd minute, ensuring the teams were tied at halftime.
VAR played a key role again in the second halfs middle when Doukoures fortunes worsened, his booking for a rear tackle on Fofana escalated to a sending off.
The injured Belgian had to be carried off the field due to an ankle problem.
Reduced to 10 men, Strasbourg displayed grit to frustrate the home side and seemed poised to claim a solid away draw.
However, a dramatic conclusion arrived as Moreiras entry for Fofana clinched the win for Lyon in the 91st minute with a fine curling shot from the left edge of the box into the top far corner.
Insufficient performance
Before that, Lille mounted a powerful second half to crush relegation-threatened Metz 6-1.
Strikes from Hamza Igamane and Felix Correia put the home team ahead by the break, after which Bruno Genesios men added four more in the latter period.
Correia scored again shortly after restart, followed by goals from Romain Perraud, Benjamin Andre, and Hakon Haraldsson, lifting Lille to fifth place.
Ibou Sane grabbed a late comfort goal in added time for Metz, who remain without a win.
"We simply arent up to standard," admitted Metz midfielder Gauthier Hein.
"Our efforts on the field fall short against opponents like this. They outmanoeuvre us completely, and we lack the solutions."
Rennes believed they had salvaged a 93rd-minute equaliser against Nice at home, but an offside call in the buildup to Mohamed Kader Maites strike meant the game ended 2-1 in favour of the away team.
Angers escaped the bottom three thanks to a 2-0 success over 16th-placed Lorient, with teenagers Prosper Peter and Sidiki Cherif scoring both for the home outfit.
Auxerre dropped into the danger area after losing 1-0 to fellow battlers Le Havre.