Olympique Lyonnais missed the chance to move into second place in Ligue 1 after drawing 0-0 against a resilient Lille OSC on Saturday.
Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was made to work, including a stunning stoppage-time stop from Lyon centerback Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
A win would have moved Lyon ahead of AS Saint-Etienne Stade de Reims and on goal-difference.
Photo: AFP
Elsewhere on Saturday, Reims battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Toulouse, while striker Nolan Roux scored his first goal for his new club as Saint-Etienne won 2-1 at last-placed Montpellier Herault.
At the Stade de Gerland, Lyon improved after the interval, especially with France winger Mathieu Valbuena causing problems from set-pieces.
From one Valbuena corner, Corentin Tolisso headed firmly wide in the 55th minute. Moments later, Tolisso tried a low strike from just outside the penalty area, but Enyeama saved it comfortably and easily dealt with Alexandre Lacazette’s speculative strike from similar distance.
He made a far more difficult save in the 84th minute, tipping away Valbuena’s curling strike as it headed for the top corner.
“We’re disappointed because we didn’t get our just reward,” Valbuena said.
Enyeama was rescued by his post in the 88th minute when defender Rafael met Valbuena’s free-kick with a glancing header.
“We had a few chances in the second half and we didn’t have any luck,” Tolisso said.
The Lyon bench rose as one in the second minute of stoppage-time, thinking Mapou-Mbiwa had scored with a powerful header from another teasing Valbuena cross, but Enyeama saved his best save for last.
In other matches on Saturday, Stade Malherbe Caen secured a 3-1 win at ESTAC Troyes; En Avant de Guingamp won 1-0 at OGC Nice; and Lorient beat Angers SCO 3-1.
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