Olympique Lyonnais missed out on the chance to return to top spot in the French league after a disappointing goalless draw on Saturday at Boulogne-sur-Mer.
With reigning champions and leaders Girondins Bordeaux hosting surprise title aspirants Montpellier yesterday, the way was clear for Lyon, a record seven titles in a row between 2002 and 2008, to reach the summit with a win, but instead Claude Puel’s men fired blanks against a Boulogne side standing second from bottom of the table with only three wins all season.
“I have to hand it to Boulogne, as they pressed throughout with a lot of enthusiasm. We were more in it after the break and made ourselves a few chances, but the Boulogne ’keeper made the difference,” Puel said. “On our second half showing, the result is a bit of a shame, but overall the draw is a fair result. We were too passive in the first half to expect anything better.”
PHOTO: AFP
Boulogne skipper Damien Marcq almost embarrassed the visitors, who were too good for Real Madrid in their Champions League round of 16 first-leg tie last month, on 15 minutes, a snapshot hitting the post with Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris beaten.
At the other end, Mathieu Bodmer sent a header over the bar, before Boulogne threatened again, a Juan Gonzalo Lorca free-kick forcing Lloris to get down smartly to smother.
Bafetembi Gomis and Bodmer eked out, but then spurned half-chances, as Lyon labored to find any rhythm and even the entrance from the bench of fan favorite Lisandro Lopez did not have the desired effect.
Puel would not be drawn on whether his players had their minds focused on the upcoming Madrid return match rather than league fare.
“Were they thinking of the Madrid return? Well, I am not inside their heads,” he said.
The dismissal of Boulogne’s Yoann Lachor in the final moments for a second bookable offense came too late for Lyon’s numerical advantage to have any effect as they moved onto 50 points.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain could only draw 1-1 with struggling Lens, as the capital club failed to bounce back from their thrashing at the hands of rivals Marseille last weekend.
Saturday’s other results:
• Auxerre 1, Valenciennes 0
• Nice 2, Nancy 3
• Rennes 1, Monaco 0
• Sochaux 1, Toulouse 0
• Saint-Etienne 1, Lille 1
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