Lyon Slip-up Gives Title Rivals Hope

[DeLikanLi]

PSGґs midfielder Jeremy Clement (L) fights for the ball with Le Mansґ forward Anthony Le Tallec ®, during their French L1 football match at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris. PSG won 3-1.

PARIS (AFP) - Lyon paid the price for taking French League One strugglers Nantes too lightly, giving a trio of possible title rivals hope of limiting the seven-times champions' advantage in the lead-up to Christmas.

Leaders Lyon are already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League but unexpectedly fell 2-1 at Nantes.

In a match dominated by the champions Frederic Piquionne fired home for Lyon from a close range rebound after Jerome Alonzo had spilled a Kim Kallstrom free-kick in the 43rd minute.

However the 'Canaries', returning to top flight action this season, took full advantage of their few opportunities, which were given a boost by a controversial penalty decision.

The hosts levelled in the 59th minute after Ivan Klasnic slipped the ball into an empty net after Hugo Lloris pushed the ball into his path following a duel with midfielder Aurelien Capoue.

Klasnic then stepped up to score a controversial 89th-minute winner from the penalty spot following a duel between Nantes' Mamadou Bagayoko and Marseille's Lamine Gassanah which appeared to conclude on the edge of the box.

Lyon coach Claude Puel certainly felt short-changed.

While his player bemoaned the penalty that "did not exist", Puel said: "We didn't stay fully concentrated till the end of the match.

"We gave them an inch and they took us a mile. At our level, we should be able to control these kind of matches better. We dominated and should have taken all three points."

The presence of Rennes, who slipped from second to third after a 1-1 draw at Caen, must be less worrying for Lyon than the presence of Marseille who overcame a resolute Nice side 2-1.

Изменено 8 декабря, 2008 пользователем DeLikanLi