Championnat of Football Professionnel
Lyon snatch it late
Afp, Paris
Lyon had their centre-backs to thank for salvaging a home win against plucky Valenciennes at the Stade Gerland on Friday night after coming away with a 2-1 win.But it was not the defensive efforts of Brazilian Cris and Frenchman Sebastien Squillaci that earned this victory -- far from it in fact. Squillaci was absent without leave in the 76th minute as Steve Savidan turned Cris inside out and fired past France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet to give the visitors an unlikely lead on the break. Five-in-a-row champions Lyon were on the brink of a shock second defeat in a row, having looked impenetrable in their first 16 matches, which yielded 15 wins and a draw. But two goals, owing as much to blind luck and errors as anything else, turned the match on its head and gave Lyon a 12-point lead over the chasing pack, until Saturday at least. Two set-pieces undid Valenciennes. On 85 minutes, Cris rose at the back post after a Florent Malouda cross was headed up in the air by a defender. The Brazilian rose as high as he could to get his head on the ball but could do little more than head it straight up in the air. Valenciennes keeper Nicolas Penneteau was caught flat-footed and watched helplessly as the ball looped into the top corner at his far post. That unleashed relief on the Lyon bench which quickly turned to unbridled joy. Penneteau was at fault again as he flapped at a cross from Jeremy Toulalan just a minute later. The ball dropped to Squillaci, who with his back to goal, flicked it back over the keeper. There was a defender on the line who looked well placed to clear but he went for the ball with his foot rather than his head and ended up crumbled in the net with the ball. Lyon had not lost two matches in a row since 2002 and never looked like losing this one until Savidan's opener. Just minutes before, former Arsenal striker Sylvain Wiltord had volleyed acrobatically over the bar after delightful build-up play from Tiago and Malouda. However, despite the three points, Lyon coach Gerard Houllier -- and indeed France coach Raymond Domenech -- will be more concerned with his striking resources. Both Karim Benzema and Sidney Govou limped off, seemingly with hamstring pulls. Benzema, who had been called up to Domenech's French squad, could now be out of Wednesday's friendly in Paris with Greece.
| 
