Lisbon (AFP)

Missed opportunity! Olympique Lyonnais were defeated on the turf of Benfica Lisbon (2-1) and lost the opportunity to maintain their leader seat in Group G on Wednesday during the third day of the Champions League.

With this result, OL had their first European defeat of the season and left the Germans RB Leipzig to take the lead of the group with 6 points after their victory over the Zénith Saint-Petersburg (2-1) relegating the Lyonnais third, two lengths. The same total as the Russians, while Benfica remains on the lookout with 3 points.

With only one success in the last 10 meetings, Lyon has not found the breath of fresh air that coach Rudi Garcia claimed for this meeting of the Champions League.

And despite Garcia's warnings before his second encounter on the bench of OL, who was suspicious of the start of the match, Lyon were picked from entry by a goal from Rafa Silva, just back from injury to the adductors (4th).

Painful to clear, OL's defense saw Franco Cervi intercept a ball at the entrance to the surface before serving on a plate Rafa Silva, the Portuguese international winner of the Euro-2016 not being prayed to shoot an unstoppable cross shot for compatriot Anthony Lopes.

Lyon were able to return with a goal from Memphis Depay, back in the eleven, who took advantage of a good center of Leo Dubois in the Portuguese area to adjust the Greek gatekeeper Benfica Odisseas Vlachodimos (70).

- incomprehensible recovery -

Nevertheless, all these efforts were annihilated by an error of Anthony Lopes, with an incomprehensible hand-tossing of the Lyon goalkeeper towards the midfielder, directly intercepted by Pizzi who shot in the empty goal (85th).

Before that, the Lyonnais had the control of the ball but had difficulties to be dangerous.

It was not until Martin Terrier opened up to Maxwel Cornet over the Lisbon defense to see the first real chance of Lyon, but Grimaldo came back at full speed to counter in extremis the strike of the Ivorian international (29th).

Until the break, Lyon kept the command of operations but lacked sharpness to put in trouble Benfica Lisbon, exposing himself dangerously to the Portuguese counterparts, just like a perfect exit of Anthony Lopes in the feet of Gedson Fernandes, isolated in the Lyon area (43e).

After the break, the men of Rudi Garcia kept the same ingredients, this time closer to the Portuguese goals.

And after touching the crossbar following a hit Cornet deflected by Ferro (64), Memphis Depay believed to offer the point of the draw.

It was without counting on the lack of concentration of Anthony Lopes, who will certainly not keep a good memory of his return to Portugal, the winner of the Euro-2016 lead with his mistake the highlight of his team and maybe to be his destiny within group G.

For its part, Benfica Lisbon maintained their unbeaten record at home against French teams in European competitions, with a 15th match unbeaten.

© 2019 AFP