France: Lyon wastes chance to tie PSG

Brest's French midfielder Tripy Makonda (right) vies with Lyon's Argentinian forward Lisandro Lopez.

Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images

Lyon wasted its chance to move level with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the French league after drawing at Brest 1-1 on Sunday.

Brest took the lead in the eighth minute when midfielder Kamel Chafni cut inside and beat goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre with a low shot into the left corner.

Lyon equalized in the 53rd when left back Tripy Makonda turned striker Lisandro Lopez's cross from the left into his own net.

Striker Bafetimbi Gomis missed a good chance to win the match for Lyon late on.

The draw leaves Lyon two points behind leader PSG, which slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Reims on Saturday - its second straight defeat away from home against a team fighting to stay up.

"We didn't start the game the way we should have and were punished for it,'' Lyon coach Remi Garde said. "The good news is the way the team reacted. Brest creaked in the second half but without ever cracking.''

Lyon dominated the second half with Lopez and Gomis going close and midfielder Steed Malbranque seeing his shot cleared off the line. Another chance fell to Gomis in the 83rd but he shot over.

"I was put off by a defender just as I was about to shoot and I mishit it,'' Gomis said.

Marseille moved above Saint-Etienne and into third place thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 home win against last-place Troyes, with both of Marseille's goals coming within the space of a minute after the visitors took the lead in the 70th through Brazilian striker Marcos.

Center half Nicolas N'koulou equalized in the 81st and striker Andre-Pierre Gignac quickly grabbed his ninth league goal of the season after some good work from substitute Modou Sougou.

The win keeps Marseille three points behind Lyon and five adrift of PSG.

Later Sunday, Lille was at home to out-of-form Bordeaux.