LATE FANCHONE STRIKE
DENIES LYON WIN
Pascal Johansen netted Strasbourg's first
equaliser
1ère Journée
Olympique Lyonnnais 2 Govou 8' Fred 74'
RC Strasbourg 2 Johansen 18' Fanchone 92'
RC Strasbourg (4-2-3-1): Cassard - Lacour, Bellaid, Paisley, Dos Santos - Cohade, Rodrigo - Abdessadki (Fanchone, 74), Johansen, Mouloungui (Gagarov, 45) - Alvaro (Renteria, 86)
Professor Nutmeg's tenure at RC Strasbourg began with a dogged draw, at title favourites
Olympique Lyonnais. The Alsace club twice came back from behind at the Stade de Gerland, on the opening day of the Ligue 1 season.
It took a mere eight minutes for the home side to register the first goal.
Manuel Dos Santos was got caught in possession by
Govou, just outside the box and the forward calmly placed a shot past
Stephane Cassard. The early setback saw an animated Professor Nutmeg barking orders at his charges and ten minutes later, Dos Santos fed
Pascal Johansen from the left side. The midfielder rose in Lyon's box, inbetween
Cris and
Belhadj, to head past
Coupet, the ball deflecting in off the underside of the crossbar. Perhaps Lyon weren't going to have it easy.
The home side then began to create more chances. A trademark
Juninho freekick was expertly saved by Cassard to deny the Brazilan a spectacular goal from about 30 yards out.
Fred later missed the chance to put his side 2-1 up, when his header hit the crossbar. However, minutes later, another opportunity arose and the striker didn't miss, placing his header out of the keeper's reach and rippling the net. 2-1 to Lyon.
Cue a Strasbourg change.
James Fanchone's fresh legs came on for
Yacine Abdessadki. Racing looked to have lost all three points, before an injury time goal rescued the point.
Emil Gargorov threaded an enticing ball to
Alvaro in the box. The until now, quiet Brazilian, fired a shot across the goal, forcing the save from Coupet, who parried straight to the Fanchone. The substitute pounced on the loose ball and smashed it into the back of the net from 4 yards. 2-2 at the final whistle.
