Bafetimbi Gomis scored a double as Olympique Lyonnais moved top of Ligue 1 with a 4-1 home win against promoted ES Troyes AC on Saturday as champions Montpellier Herault fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at Lorient.
Montpellier had led until the dying minutes after Emanuel Herrera’s 37th-minute opener, but late strikes from Alain Traore and Jeremy Aliadiere gave the Brittany outfit their first win of the season.
Earlier, Lyon kept their unbeaten record and their cool, despite temperatures reaching 37oC and losing midfielder Yoann Gourcuff to a right-knee injury after just six minutes.
Photo: AFP
The France international, who has had a promising start to the season after a 2011-2012 blighted by injury, is suffering from suspected ligament damage.
Gourcuff was forced off the pitch with a right-knee sprain and was replaced by Clement Grenier, who nevertheless had a positive impact on the match.
Despite the hosts dominating, Troyes took the lead when on loan Paris Saint-Germain striker Jean-Christophe Bahebeck picked up a Fabrice N’Sakala cross from the left wing after 47 minutes, but Gomis leveled four minutes later with a header off a Grenier corner.
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Brazilian striker Michel Bastos gave Lyon their second on 66 minutes with an acrobatic conversion of a Yohann Thuram-Ulien cross.
Argentine Lisandro Lopez (88) was also on target, before Gomis added his second two minutes into stoppage-time to ensure Lyon won their opening two games for the first time since the 2005-2006 season.
Montpellier coach Rene Girard may have claimed he was “not overly worried” after his side drew 1-1 in the opener to Toulouse, but the manner in which the champions lost on Saturday must be a cause for concern as they slumped to 13th position.
Photo: AFP
La Paillade had looked on their way to victory, before Traore’s powerful shot from long range one minute into stoppage-time and then, two minutes later, Aliadiere’s winner caused wild celebrations in Brittany.
A week after holding Paris Saint-Germain, Lorient lie third, two points behind Lyon and surprise newcomers SC Bastia, who grabbed a victory over Stade de Reims, with LOSC Lille Metropole fourth after a 1-1 draw with AS Nancy-Lorraine on Friday.
Elsewhere, Claude Puel was still looking for his first win as OGC Nice coach as the Riviera outfit were held to their second straight stalemate — a goalless draw at Valenciennes.
Toulouse won 2-1 at home against AS Saint-Etienne, as Stade Brestois 29 earned a late victory over Evian Thonon Gaillard thanks to a Paul Baysse strike in the dying minutes.
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