feghouli thunderbolt earns valencia win at lyon published: tuesday 29 september 2015, 22.50cet lyon 0-1 valencia sofiane feghouli's superb long-range strike was enough to earn the points on an evening when the woodwork was struck five times.
• valencia claim their first points in group h; ol remain on one • valencia hit woodwork twice before sofiane feghouli's superb long-range opener • lyon also connect with goal frame twice in a frenetic first half • chances much less frequent in tight second period • next games: zenit v lyon, valencia v gent (20 october)
valencia have their first win in uefa champions league group h after sofiane feghouli edged an entertaining game with a thunderous first-half strike away against lyon.
"let's make these stars shine one last time at gerland," read a banner in the virage nord, but it was more a night of rattling woodwork at ol's home, which they are due to leave in january. mathieu valbuena was the first to find the frame of the goal, with his free-kick palmed superbly onto the post by valencia's third-choice goalkeeper jaume doménech.
lyon had started well, yet valencia gradually took control and posed their own set-piece threat from corners, aymen abdennour heading against a post after earlier nodding wide. feghouli then took over the mantle, grazing the bar with a vicious effort before connecting with it a second, decisive time – his shot from distance bouncing in off the bar after he had received a pablo piatti pass in too much space.
ıncredibly, there was more to come in the first half, a deflected alexandre lacazette shot looping onto the bar, while ol substitute jordan ferri screwed wide. lacazette also brought a save from doménech shortly after the restart as hubert fournier's men looked to stave off a damaging defeat.
perhaps inevitably, the goalmouth action abated as the half progressed, a flurry of yellow cards underlining what had become a grittier spectacle. and that was exactly how los che wanted it, the liga club managing their lead to leave lyon in early trouble in group h.
key player: sofiane feghouli born in france, feghouli was obviously keen to impress at gerland and he succeeded where it seemed no one would by finding the back of the net in a bizarre first half. the energetic algerian international opened the scoring with a fantastic strike, even if lyon were guilty of leaving him completely free.
lacazette left frustrated with just one goal to his name this season – and a missed penalty in gent two weeks ago – alexandre lacazette was eager to turn this game in ol's favour. disappointment loomed for last season's top scorer in ligue 1, though he nearly registered with a deflected attempt.
mixed night for debutants the lyon team sheet featured two relatively new faces in aldo kalulu and sergi darder, the former making his first uefa champions league start for the club and the latter marking his debut in the competition. neither made a huge impact, though while darder's night ended with an early injury, kalulu showed moments of promise.
