It is 35 years since Lyon last plied their trade outside of the French top-flight, but still without victory this season has seen the oddsmakers cut the home side to 4/1 from 100/1 at the start of the campaign to be relegated. Following the horrifying ordeal Fabio Grosso’s men went through in Marseille last week, loanee forward Mama Balde should have put his side in front inside the first minute. He timed his run perfectly after being set free down the right, but symptomatic of the season he is having on only his second start, his effort was tame down to the left of Alexandre Oukidja.
Unfortunately for Algerian Oukidja, that save was his final action as he was replaced by the young French Ligue 1 debutant Guillaume Dietsch due to injury. In years gone by he would have expected a bombardment of shots at the home of Lyon, but Les Gones played out the remainder of the half without a single shot on goal and required the services of their own goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to keep Jallow out twice in succession.
Failing to lead at half-time in all but one of their fixtures, Grosso clearly delivered the hairdryer treatment at half-time with his side showing moments of brightness following the restart. First, it was Skelly Alvero with a long-range effort, before an Alexandre Lacazette effort on the swivel which Dietsch somehow got his body in the way of.
Again, following a flurry of chances the slumber continued with neither side creating much in attack until Jallow produced a moment of individual brilliance worthy of settling any game. With his back to goal, he flicked the ball beyond two flailing Lyon defenders, before unleashing a thunderbolt left-footed beyond Lopes. The shackles were now off for Lyon, finding themselves chasing yet another game. Not to be outdone by Jallow’s strike, Alvero found one of his own to bring his side level and lift the anxious home crowd.
Flashscore Player of the Match: Ablie Jallow (FC Metz)
