Lyon miss chances in goalless draw vs. resilient Lille
PARIS --
Lyon missed the chance to move into provisional second place in the French league after drawing 0-0 against a resilient Lille on Saturday.
Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was made to work, including a stunning injury-time stop from Lyon center-half Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Lyon improved after the interval, with France winger Mathieu Valbuena causing problems from set-pieces.
From one Valbuena corner, Corentin Tolisso headed firmly wide in the 55th. Moments later, Tolisso tried his luck with a low strike from just outside the penalty area, but Enyeama saved it comfortably and then easily dealt with Lacazette's speculative strike from similar distance.
He made a far more difficult save in the 84th, tipping away Valbuena's curling strike as it headed for the top corner. He was rescued by his post in the 88th, when defender Rafael met Valbuena's free kick with a glancing header.
''We had a few chances in the second half and we didn't have any luck,'' Tolisso said. ''This is promising for the future.''
Lacazette, last season's league top-scorer with 27, has yet to score this season and looks short of form, while Lyon missed the skills of forward Nabil Fekir, voted the league's best young player last season. Fekir, who ruptured knee ligaments playing for France during the recent international break, will have an operation on Monday and faces up to six months out.
With rain teeming, Lyon poured forward as coach Hubert Fournier - his suit soaked through - yelled encouragement from the touchline. The Lyon bench rose as one in the second minute of injury time, thinking Mapou-Mbiwa scored with a powerful header from another teasing Valbuena cross, but Enyeama saved his best save for last with remarkable reflexes.
Lyon, which finished runner-up to Paris Saint-Germain last season, has eight points from five matches and was provisionally in fourth place ahead of Saturday's late matches.
TROYES 1, CAEN 3
Ten-man Caen set their season back on track with a 3-1 win at Troyes.
Having won their opening two fixtures, the visitors followed up with two successive defeats, but goals from Julien Feret, Siam Ben Youssef and Vincent Bessat ensured a return to form.
Chris Mavinga's error allowed Feret to lift the ball over Dennis Petric before Ben Youssef headed home to double Caen's lead on 38 minutes. Ben Youssef was given his marching orders just before the hour mark for a second yellow but, despite that, the visitors wrapped up the points moments later when Bessat added a third on 62 minutes.
Quentin Othon netted for the hosts in injury time but it was a case of too little too late.
SAINT-ETIENNE 2, MONTPELLIER 1
St. Etienne moved up to third in Ligue 1 with a 2-1 win at struggling Montpellier.
Moustapha Bayal Sall opened the scoring a quarter of the way into the game when he steered Valentin Eysseric's free-kick beyond Jonathan Ligali in the hosts' goal. Then Nolan Roux's first goal for Les Verts wrapped up the points with an hour played, meaning Joris Marveaux's late effort was nothing more than a consolation.
LORIENT, GUINGAMP SECURE WINS
Lorient came back from behind to beat Angers 3-1 as Romain Saiss' early effort was cancelled out by strikes from Yann Jouffre, Abdul Waris and Benjamin Jeannot. Meanwhile Younousse Sankare latched onto a pass from Jimmy Briand to the score the only goal of the game in the 76th minute as Guingamp won at Nice.
In Sunday's games, Monaco travels to Ajaccio, Nantes hosts Rennes, and Marseille faces Corsican side Bastia. PSG drew 2-2 at home to Bordeaux on Friday with newly signed goalkeeper Kevin Trapp at fault for both goals.
FOXSoccer.com's newswire services contributed to this report.