Lyon in qualifier play-offs
Seven-time French champions Lyon progressed to the Champions League play-off round on Tuesday with a 2-0 aggregate victory over Swiss side Grasshoppers following a 1-0 second-leg win in Zurich.
Lyon entered Tuesday’s second leg at the Letzigrund Stadium with a one-goal advantage after a narrow win in France last week, and Remi Garde’s side moved a step closer to a return to the group stage as Clement Grenier struck a late winner to cement their place in the next round.
Michael Lang had the best chance of a quiet first half, but the defender was thwarted by a combination of Bakary Kone and goalkeeper Anthony Lopes having initally breached the Lyon backline.
Nzuzi Toko then tested Lopes with an angled strike just prior to half-time, while Alexandre Lacazette fired low at Roman Buerki after wriggling free on the edge of the box in what represented Lyon’s best effort prior to Grenier’s goal eight minutes from time.
Samuel Umtiti intercepted a loose pass, picking out Gueida Fofana who set Lisandro Lopez free before the Argentine squared for Grenier to slot past Buerki to cap off a clinical counterattack.
Earlier, Fenerbahce clinched their place in the final qualifying round after coming from a goal down to beat Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg 3-1 in Istanbul for a 4-2 victory on aggregate.
Jonathan Soriano put the visitors into a fourth-minute lead, but Raul Meireles levelled for Fenerbahce shortly after before Moussa Sow and Pierre Webo gave them a two-goal lead.
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