Décines-Charpieu (France) (AFP)

Lyon, long led, qualified Tuesday for the 8th finals of the Champions League after its draw against Leipzig (2-2), finally giving meaning to a season that awaited this coup.

And there was light. OL extended the weekend of Lights of Lights illuminations during an evening where he played for a long time with the switch, virtually third, last and second.

Like the Parc OL, Rudi Garcia's team went through all the emotions, in the same way that it chained the very bad as the very good in 90 minutes.

But at the final whistle, the fun broke out of the stands, and the players raised their arms to heaven, from where came the liberating boost. It is thanks to the success of Benfica Lisbon against Zenit Saint-Petersburg (3-0) that Lyon, finally second, passed before the Russians.

A few minutes later, tensions erupted between the north kop and the defender Marcelo who ended up addressing to the ultras several fingers of honor. Proof that there is still some way to go in order to recover a badly seasoned season until then.

Because this OL, still fragile, did not show enough to win this match, which would have allowed him to finish at the top of his group. He will still have to improve if he wants to be competitive in the next round.

But he showed character to go up two goals and return to equality, thanks to Houssem Aouar (50th) and Memphis Depay (82nd), while this same attitude had been pointed at the previous major meetings lost.

The Dutch star symbolized this resilience Lyon, marking his second great opportunity when he had rather suffered so far. Scorer in each of his five group games, the captain has taken the measure of his new duties.

- Depay decisive -

By giving him the armband, Rudi Garcia made one of his first good choices as a Lyon coach. He keeps his providential player, while the two corners continue to whistle his name and ask, at times, where his team goes.

Like their chaotic season, the Blue and Red have spread disturbing fragilities in defense. During the first twenty minutes, it was to wonder who played the qualification between the OL, apathetic, and Leipzig, pressing.

The two penalties conceded in the first half, and transformed by Emil Forsberg (9th) and Timo Werner (33rd), were the logical consequence of this failed start.

The strike on the bar Moussa Dembélé before halftime (45 + 2) has finally sounded the awakening of Lyonnais, who had the timing of their side by scoring from the recovery by Houssem Aouar (50th).

While Leipzig had also dropped in a tone, Lyon finally equalized to give his season the expected turn.

Criticized, long in the hard, the team of Jean-Michel Aulas remains alive, seeing these 8th so crucial. Silver qualification in hand (EUR 9.5 million), not counting additional revenues related to TV rights and ticketing, and also exposure of its young shoots ... even if it was a draw, Lyon finally won.

© 2019 AFP