Ten-man Lyon came from behind to earn a hotly-contested 2-2 draw at home to bitter rivals Saint-Etienne on Sunday and climb back on top of Ligue 1.
A swashbuckling Lyon played for over an hour with ten men after the referee harshly awarded a 28th minute penalty and a straight red card to Lindsay Rose for a deliberate handball.
Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain both have 65 points with Lyon leading on goal-difference although Paris, who beat Nice 3-1 on Saturday, have played a game less.
Lyon coach Hubert Fournier hinted that the comeback stood his side in good stead for the fight with Paris: “It shows we have both the mental resources and the technical ability to come from behind and to believe in ourselves all the way.”
The bitter derby between regional rivals was further enflamed ahead of the game by a terrace animator, a fan with a microphone, who said “we need to crush these parasites”.
No Saint-Etienne supporters were there to hear it, though, as they had declined Lyon’s offer of 600 seats for away fans as a protest at the meagre allocation.
Lyon took the lead after a fiery start when Nabil Fekir fed Clinton Njie on 25 minutes, and his shot crept under Stephane Ruffier for a deserved lead.
Referee Said Ennjimi then sent off Lyon defender Rose after he handled in a goalmouth scramble. Forward Max Gradel sent Anthony Lopes the wrong way from the spot, and wearing Ivory Coast wristbands, danced away to the corner flag in celebration.
Worse was to come for the hosts as Romain Hamouma then rounded Lopes and deftly slotted home on the stroke of half-time.
But shortly after the break, Lyon’s Christophe Jallet stole in at a corner to produce a powerful header on the six yard line and level the scores.
“I regret the fact the players couldn’t or wouldn’t dare go after the win after the equaliser,” said Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier.
Saint-Etienne picked up five yellow cards and Lyon a further two as the game threatened to boil over, the referee doing a good job to keep control.
“This gives Paris the upper hand in the race for the title but we can count on the quality of our team and we can also hope that they slip up. We’re still in with a good chance,” Lyon president Michel Aulas said.
On Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain bounced back from their Champions League humbling against Barcelona by beating Nice 3-1 in their bid for a hat-trick of Ligue 1 titles.
AS Monaco are in third place after drawing 1-1 with Rennes on Saturday where a lapse of concentration cost them two points through a last minute goal for the visitors.
They refocus now on overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit at home to Juventus in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek.
But crucially, they failed to fully exploit fourth-placed Marseille’s continued slump as Marcelo Bielsa’s side went down to a 1-0 defeat at Nantes on Friday night.
Saint-Etienne’s draw with the leaders leaves them in fifth, level with Marseille on points while Lille and Montpellier also climbed back into contention with Bordeaux for Europa League spots.
Lille beat Bordeaux 2-0 as Nolan Roux headed in his fifth goal of the season after an incisive run by Sofiane Boufal, who also provided the clincher for Adama Traore.
Montpellier can thank their 37-year-old Brazilian defender Vitorio Hilton, who followed up his goal, a powerful near-post header in the fourth minute, by sliding joyously and chest down through a huge puddle.
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Company%20Profile
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Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
