Late Lloris save secures Lyon’s semi-final ticket

LYON were grateful to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for a dramatic late save as Les Gones reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history with victory over Ligue 1 rivals Bordeaux last night.

With Lyon losing 1-0 on the night and clinging to an aggregate lead three minutes from time, the outstanding Lloris leaped across goal to punch clear Wendell’s goalbound header.

Marouane Chamakh’s first-half goal ultimately counted for nothing as Lyon’s first-leg advantage held up through a tense second half.

It was no less than they deserved as, save for a spell late in the first half, they were the more composed team on the night, and they created several chances to kill the game off. Lyon went close to getting what could have been a killer away goal as early as the eighth minute, when Michel Bastos sent a powerful free-kick inches wide of the top right-hand corner of the net.

The visitors were enjoying the better of the opening stages as Bafetimbi Gomis headed just over from Cesar Delgado’s corner.

Bordeaux were struggling to get their primary weapon, Chamakh, into the game, and instead their first chance went to Yoann Gourcuff, who headed over when allowed to escape his marker and meet Silva Wendell’s inswinging free-kick.

When Chamakh finally did get on the ball inside the area, Jean-Alain Boumsong was able to block his shot before the referee blew for a handball by the Bordeaux forward anyway.

With half-time approaching, Alou Diarra rattled the crossbar with a superb strike from distance that left Lloris with no chance, but still left Bordeaux lamenting their luck.

But seconds later, they were right back in the tie and inevitably it was Chamakh who got the goal.

Benoit Tremoulinas’ cross from the left was touched on by Jaroslav Plasil and Chamakh was on hand to stab home from close range and leave the game beautifully poised at half-time.

Lyon gave Bordeaux a wake-up call early in the second half as Gomis skipped past goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso but, having been forced wide, could only find defender Marc Planus as he cut the ball back.

Bastos then lashed a shot wide from just outside the area as Bordeaux were slow the to start the half once again.

Lloris then made the save that kept Lyon in the Champions League, stretching out a strong left hand to claw away Wendell’s powerful header back across goal from Mathieu Chalme’s cross with three minutes left.

BORDEAUX: Carrasso, Sane, Ciani, Planus (Cavenaghi 84), Tremoulinas, Plasil, Diarra (Chalme 70), Jussie (Gouffran 77), Gourcuff, Wendell, Chamakh.

LYON: Lloris, Reveillere, Cris, Boumsong (Bodmer 77), Cissokho, Toulalan, Gonalons, Kallstrom, Michel Bastos (Ederson 88), Gomis (Pjanic 66), Delgado.

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain).