Giovanni Sio scored one goal and set up another to lead Sochaux-Montbeliard to a stunning 2-1 victory at misfiring Olympique Lyonnais which left Paris Saint-Germain seven points clear at the top of Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Sio put the visitors ahead with a powerful header in the 50th minute and then set up Cedric Bakambu for the winning goal with two minutes left.
Lyon, who hit the woodwork three times and recorded only five attempts on target out of 22, needed a 68th-minute penalty by Bafetimbi Gomis to find the net.
Photo: AFP
Lyon have not won in their past four league games and they slipped to the third with 53 points after Olympique de Marseille leapfrogged them thanks to a 1-0 win at OGC Nice in the day’s early kickoff.
“We must not ruin everything after our very good first half of the season. Let’s go back to work and keep our spirits up,” Lyon captain Maxime Gonalons told French channel Canal+.
In the day’s other game, Salomon Kalou and Nolan Roux were on target to help LOSC Lille Metropole climb to fifth on 49 points with a 2-1 victory at 18th-placed Stade Brestois 29.
Although Lyon dominated possession from the start, the visiting side could have taken an early lead, but Sio headed a Sebastien Corchia cross on to the post.
The Ivory Coast forward, who joined during the winter transfer window, did find the net five minutes into the second half.
The hosts pushed hard for an equalizer and Alexandre Lacazette went close to leveling, but his shoot from the right struck the woodwork a minute before he was awarded the penalty converted by Gomis.
Lyon laid siege to the gallant visitors’ area, but their bad luck continued as a Lisandro Lopez header struck the woodwork and Sochaux took advantage of a rare attack to regain the lead.
Clement Grenier could have saved a point for Lyon in stoppage-time, but his free-kick was parried on to the crossbar.
There were fewer chances for Marseille in Nice, but the first proved enough for Andre-Pierre Gignac to score his 10th goal of the season and earn his side their eighth away win.
Gignac headed home a Mathieu Valbuena corner in the 15th minute and wasted two other first-half opportunities to secure the victory for Marseille, who controlled the game thanks to their tough defense and collective discipline.
It was not all good news for Marseille, though, as key centerback Nicolas Nkoulou had to leave the pitch in the second half with a thigh injury.
Florian Raspentino put Brest ahead in the 10th minute, but their lead was short-lived as Salomon Kalou equalized seven minutes later with a header.
The visitors barely threatened until Nolan Roux ran through on goal from a Benoit Pedretti pass to seal the win with 12 minutes to go.
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