Ligue 1 - Marseille hold Lyon in stalemate

Eurosport - Mon, 15 Dec 06:25:00 2008

Marseille held Ligue 1 leaders Lyon to a goalless draw in a tight, tactical top-of-table clash.

FOOTBALL ligue 1 2008/2009 Lyon Marseille Toulalan Ben Arfa Benzema - 0

The result left Lyon, chasing an eighth consecutive title, three points ahead of second-placed Marseille with one game to go before the winter break.

Lyon have 35 points from 18 games, with Marseille, third-placed Girondins Bordeaux and fourth-placed Paris St Germain all on 32 points.

A tense affair featuring five yellow cards, the game at Lyon, played on a soggy pitch, produced few highlights.

Marseille, who would have gone top with a win, wasted a great chance when midfielder Mathieu Valbuena shot straight at Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris from close range on 35 minutes.

Lyon, who have now gone four league matches without a win, let Marseille dictate play and relied on counter-attacks before turning the pressure on in the closing stages but were rarely dangerous.

"We had a few chances but couldn't score", Lyon coach Claude Puel said.

"Both teams were tired and you could see that. We did what we could."

Reuters

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