LYON, France (AP) - Lyon rallied from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk and stay top of its Champions League group on Tuesday.
Brazilian striker Junior Moraes scored twice for the Ukrainian side, but Lyon salvaged a point with second-half goals in quick succession from striker Moussa Dembele and defender Leo Dubois.
Lyon could have won as Dembele and substitute Memphis Depay missed good chances. But so could Shakhtar, with Nigerian forward Olarenwaju Kayode hitting the crossbar in the last minute.
Lyon center half Jason Denayer credited Depay with turning the match around.
“We were very good mentally to come back into the game. It was a good change that was made when Memphis came on, he’s a very good player as everybody knows,” Denayer said. “When everybody’s a bit tired and he’s fresh, he can make the difference like he did today.”
Lyon is one point ahead of English champion Manchester City, which lost its opening game to the French team and bounced back to win 2-1 at German side Hoffenheim in Group F’s other match on Tuesday. Shakhtar has two points and Hoffenheim is last with one.
Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes made two good saves in the first half but was beaten just before the interval. Brazilian left back Ismaily got to the byline and pulled the ball back for countryman Moraes to finish confidently at the near post.
Lyon started the second half well, but after midfielder Houssem Aouar had a goal disallowed for offside the visitors made it 2-0 shortly with an all-Brazilian move after Aouar had lost the ball. Midfielder Taison fed countryman Alan Patrick and he quickly found Moraes - who expertly side-footed inside the near post after 55 minutes.
“Unfortunately we lost a little bit of concentration in the second half. In the Champions League this is a big mistake,” Moraes said. “We gave Lyon chances to create and score and we must learn from our mistakes. For us to be 2-0 up in the first half was amazing (but) it was a little bit tough in the second half.”
When Lyon coach Bruno Genesio brought on Depay, the lively Netherlands forward almost instantly sparked the attack.
Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov saved Dembele’s shot in the 68th and then kept out defender Ferland Mendy’s effort.
But Lyon’s pressure paid off when Dembele powerfully headed in France forward Nabil Fekir’s cross.
Two minutes later, the right back Dubois found space near the penalty spot and slid in to convert Aouar’s quick cross from the left.
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