Lyon's Champions League hopes hit by Montpellier draw

Paris (AFP) – Lyon’s miserable Ligue 1 form continued as a 1-1 draw at Montpellier on Sunday extended their winless streak to six games, dealing their Champions League hopes another blow.

Bruno Genesio’s men have not won in the league since beating runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain on January 21, and are four points adrift of Marseille, who sit in the third and final Champions League spot ahead of their match with Nantes later on Sunday.

Montpellier’s point boosts their bid to take sixth from Nantes, as the second-best defence in the division repelled the efforts of Lyon to secure their 13th league draw of the campaign.

The hosts took a surprise seventh-minute lead at the Stade de la Mosson, as Isaac Mbenza snuck behind of the Lyon backline unmarked to slot in Ruben Aguilar’s right-wing cross.

The visitors dominated after the interval as the front three of Bertrand Traore, Memphis Depay and Mariano Diaz proved a constant threat, and the latter pounced on a low ball into the area to grab a 58th-minute equaliser.

The 24-year-old forward has now scored 16 league goals in his first season since joining the French outfit from Real Madrid.

But Lyon failed to find a winner, settling for their third draw on the bounce after three consecutive defeats.

PSG have all but wrapped up the title after a 2-0 win at Troyes on Saturday maintained a 14-point advantage over reigning champions Monaco.

Earlier on Sunday, Caen took a big step towards safety as goals from Enzo Crivelli and Frederic Guilbert secured a 2-0 victory over Strasbourg.