Lyon shocks PSG

Lyon condemned Paris
Saint-Germain to their
second defeat inside a
week thanks to Jordan
Ferri's 31st minute
strike.
Laurent Blanc's men were eliminated from
the Champions League on Tuesday, losing
on away goals to Chelsea in the quarter-
finals, and they delivered another below-
par performance on Sunday.
The Stade de Gerland had been the scene
of last year's title triumph for the visitors
but their march to this year's championship
suffered a blip, as Lyon claimed a deserved
victory.
With it, Remi Garde's side also gained a
psychological advantage in what was
effectively a dress rehearsal for the Coupe
de la Ligue final next Saturday.
Lyon midfielder Ferri scored the only of the
game in spectacular fashion after 31
minutes, netting for the fifth time this
season in all competitions with a
magnificent long-range effort to end PSG's
16-game league unbeaten run.
Despite the reverse, Blanc's side still lead
the top flight by 10 points and can retain
their crown with a win over Evian a week
on Wednesday, providing that Monaco lose
to Nice next Sunday.
Midfielder Yohan Cabaye was called into
the PSG starting XI as Blanc made four
changes from the defeat to Chelsea, while
injury-hit Lyon were still without star
midfielders Clement Grenier and Yoann
Gourcuff.
PSG made a fast start and would have
taken the lead inside two minutes had
Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes not tipped
Edinson Cavani's close-range header onto
the near post.
Six minutes later the visitors cut through
the Lyon defence again. Cavani latched
onto a through ball from Blaise Matuidi
before rolling the ball to Lucas Digne to slot
home into an empty net, only for the goal
to be disallowed for offside.
Lyon responded almost instantly as striker
Bafetimbi Gomis outmuscled Digne in the
box, however, the former Saint-Etienne
man could only turn his shot into the side-
netting.
But just after the half-hour mark Lyon did
take a surprise lead, as Ferri capitalised on
a loose pass from Ezequiel Lavezzi to curl a
shot brilliantly into the bottom corner.
The visitors struggled to find a way back
into the game from there, although Cabaye
flashed a volley narrowly wide of the post
just before half-time.
There was little change in the second half
as PSG - once again minus the talents of
injured top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic -
struggled to create much in the final third
against a determined Lyon defence.
Digne did draw a strong save from Lopes
with bending effort from the edge of the
area, with Lavezzi's follow up correctly
ruled out for offside.
Lyon continued to carry the greater threat
and they went close to a second as Jimmy
Briand glanced a header wide from a right-
wing cross by Ferri, who then forced PSG
goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to palm the ball
over the crossbar with a vicious volley from
range.
And PSG's frustration was summed up soon
afterwards when Lavezzi wasted arguably
their best chance to level, shooting into the
side-netting from six yards late on.