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An Alberto Gilardino brace was cancelled out by a late Lyon rally as Fiorentina were held to a 2-2 draw in their Champions League opener.

Tournament debutant Frederic Piquionne and a lively Karim Benzema struck for the French side at the Stade Gerland while Bayern Munich beat Steaua Bucharest in the other Group F match of the day.

The Ligue 1 leaders dominated from start to finish, playing a positive, attacking game with Benzema in particular making plenty of space for himself down the left flank, striking the post in the opening minutes. Brazilian veteran Juninho went close with a pair of first-half free-kicks, but for all their first-half possession Lyon never looked clinical enough in front of goal.

It was classic Italian defensive football that saw Cesare Prandelli's team score two excellent counter-attacking goals - the first after 11 minutes and the second, from a superb cross into the box by Adrian Mutu, five minutes before half-time. Gilardino's headed goals were powerful and accurate, leaving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with no chance. The French went into the interval looking bewildered, and with good reason - they had played the better football but had nothing to show for it.

The second half began as the first finished, with Lyon piling forward and Fiorentina holding firm. The Italians were happy to sit back and enjoy occasional forays into the Lyon half, but they lacked urgency and seemed happy to sit deep. Goalkeeper Sebastien Frey kept the Serie A side in the game on a couple of occasions, notably with a superb save from a Benzema strike on 50 minutes.

As strong as Kim Kallstrom and Juninho were in the midfield, they couldn't provide the decisive passes to break down the firm Fiorentina rear-guard and Lyon coach Claude Puel must have been wondering if this wasn't to be his night.

Lyon finally got the break they deserved on the 72nd minute, when Piquionne tapped in after Benzema's cross from the left of the area. The Frenchman's goal rallied his team-mates and it came as little surprise when the talismanic Juninho set up a cute equaliser for Benzema on 86 minutes. The Brazilian completely outfoxed the Fiorentina defence when he played a short free-kick to Benzema, who peeled away from the defensive wall to thump home the equaliser.

Fiorentina began to press in the closing minutes, but it was Lyon who looked more likely to find a winner. But the Viola held on to start their campagin with a useful away point.

Steaua Bucharest 0-1 Bayern Munich

A first-half strike from Bayern Munich's Daniel Van Buyten was enough to condemn Steaua Bucharest to defeat on a rain-soaked night at the Steaua Stadium. But the Romanians were furious after they had a legitimate goal disallowed in the second half.

Steaua Bucharest went into the match knowing that Jurgen Klinsmann's Bayern haven't had a dazzling start to their Bundesliga campaign. Without influential playmaker Franck Ribery, the Romanians will have fancied their chances of at least sneaking a draw. But while Luca Toni fired several blanks, Bastian Schweinsteiger showed enormous tenacity and skill as he tore through the Steaua defence time after time. It was his 30-yard free kick after 15 minutes that found the head of Van Buyten.

The Germans lost the listless Miroslav Klose to injury at half-time, with substitute Lukas Podolski providing greater flair in the attack in a rather tepid second-half.

The major talking-point of the game came 15 minutes from time. Steaua's pacey Colombian forward Dayro Moreno struck brilliantly from outside the area and Bayern keeper Michael Rensing clumsily spilt his save. Substitute Bogdan Stancu was first to pounce, tapping the ball into the goal with ease but the referee, Denmark's Claus Larsen, ruled that he had fouled Rensing in the process. Replays suggested otherwise, but this effort notwithstanding, Steaua offered little in the way of attacking football and it was an industrious win for Klinsmann's side.

Eddie D'Oliveira / Eurosport