Lyon secures Champions League spot
Source: Agencies |
May 31, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SEVEN-TIME French champion Lyon booked a place in Champions League qualifying on Sunday by beating Monaco 2-0 on the last day of the French league season with goals from Pape Diakhate and Lisandro Lopez.
Lyon's win also sent 18th-place Monaco into the second division for the first time since 1976. Lens and last-place Arles were already demoted.
Third-place Lyon ended the championship with 64 points from 38 rounds, four more than Paris Saint-Germain, and will play the Champions League for the 13th straight year.
Lille, which secured its first title since 1954 last weekend, celebrated in front of its home fans with a 3-2 win over Rennes courtesy of a hat-trick from the league's top scorer Moussa Sow. Second-place Marseille was held to a 2-2 draw at Caen.
Monaco, which reached the Champions League final in 2004, was among seven teams still fighting to avoid relegation and needed a win to stay in the topflight.
"It's hard, it's a clap of thunder," midfielder Gregory Lacombe said after Monaco's 2000th match in the first division.
"We knew we needed a win tonight and we conceded two goals. It was like a final, and we lost it."
Laurent Banide's team got off to a good start and dominated possession but created only half-chances. Lyon played cautiously during the first half and didn't have a single shot on target before the interval.
France and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris then made a superb fingertip save to keep out a curling left-footed strike from midfielder Chris Malonga in the 53rd minute.
Diakhate finally opened the scoring from a rebound in the 67th minute after goalkeeper Sebastien Chabbert blocked a first attempt from Maxime Gonalons. Lopez gave his team more room to breathe seven minutes from the end with a powerful right-footed shot.
Lyon's win also sent 18th-place Monaco into the second division for the first time since 1976. Lens and last-place Arles were already demoted.
Third-place Lyon ended the championship with 64 points from 38 rounds, four more than Paris Saint-Germain, and will play the Champions League for the 13th straight year.
Lille, which secured its first title since 1954 last weekend, celebrated in front of its home fans with a 3-2 win over Rennes courtesy of a hat-trick from the league's top scorer Moussa Sow. Second-place Marseille was held to a 2-2 draw at Caen.
Monaco, which reached the Champions League final in 2004, was among seven teams still fighting to avoid relegation and needed a win to stay in the topflight.
"It's hard, it's a clap of thunder," midfielder Gregory Lacombe said after Monaco's 2000th match in the first division.
"We knew we needed a win tonight and we conceded two goals. It was like a final, and we lost it."
Laurent Banide's team got off to a good start and dominated possession but created only half-chances. Lyon played cautiously during the first half and didn't have a single shot on target before the interval.
France and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris then made a superb fingertip save to keep out a curling left-footed strike from midfielder Chris Malonga in the 53rd minute.
Diakhate finally opened the scoring from a rebound in the 67th minute after goalkeeper Sebastien Chabbert blocked a first attempt from Maxime Gonalons. Lopez gave his team more room to breathe seven minutes from the end with a powerful right-footed shot.
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