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Nancy succumbed to their fourth single-goal defeat of the season but they were seconds away from taking a point off the champions on Saturday.
The Lorraine club battled superbly throughout and created almost as many opportunities as a Lyon side that appeared decidedly subdued.
With Michael Essien gone, Juninho Pernambucano possibly following suit and Sylvain Witlord furious with Gérard Houllier for leaving him out of the side last week, there was a good deal of concern in the Stade Gerland air.
That concern grew when Nancy settled the quicker of the two teams. Pascal Berenguer was the most lively player on the pitch and he sent two long-range efforts just over the crossbar before testing Grégory Coupet with a stinging effort from the edge of the box.
Lyon, who had Wiltord back in the side, struggled to make any kind of impression on the visitors defence, posing a threat only with long-range efforts from Juninho.
Moncef Zerka tested Coupet at the start of the second half after a pacy Nancy counterattack, before John Carew had his first chance of the game. Florent Malouda’s cross was punched hesitantly by Olivier Sorin and when the ball dropped for Carew, the Norwegian rifled his shot just past the post.
Malouda, who came on for Frau, made a real difference and he set up Carew again nine minutes from time, but this time the striker’s header was saved.
Cruelly for Nancy, Lyon scored a goal they scarcely deserved three minutes into stoppage time, Malouda crossing to the far post and captain Claudio Caçapa arriving to apply the finishing header.
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