Olympique Lyonnais' disappointment of being knocked out of Europe in midweek was compounded by Montpellier Hérault SC's 4-2 win in Lyon on Friday.
OL face losing their grip on second place this weekend after making a disastrous start to both halves. Maxime Gonalons' early own-goal (8') was quickly added to by Casimir Ninga (11'), and though Alexandre Lacazette pulled one back (14'), Ninga struck again soon after the interval (48'). Souleymane Camara (80') added a fourth before Rachid Ghezzal (84') reduced the hosts' arrears.
Knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in midweek and deprived of European football to take into their new stadium in January, OL must have hoped to restore morale within the squad and among their supporters. They could barely have made a worse start, however.
Lunging to try and cut out Jérôme Roussillon's cross, Gonalons - playing in central defence - sent the ball past Anthony Lopes. Barely had the Stade Municipal de Gerland recovered than Ninga burst clear of the back four, latched onto William Rémy's searching ball forward and fired low past the advancing Lopes.
OL showed character to hit back almost immediately. Mathieu Valbuena's corner was met by Claudio Beauvue, who saw Laurent Pionnier turn aside his shot and Lacazette head the rebound into the net, despite the attempts of Jonas Martin on the line to clear.
Lopes saves
While Lyon were looking to defend their second place in the table, Montpellier were hoping to move away from the drop zone, building on the five-match unbeaten run they arrived on.
That streak meant their confidence remained intact despite Lyon reducing the deficit. Bryan Dabo would have stretched it back out to two had Lopes not brilliantly turned aside his shot before OL's Portugal international was called upon to deny Ninga, winning his one-on-one duel with the Montpellier forward to keep Lyon in touch at the break.
He may have been wondering why he had gone to the trouble as he was once again left high and dry by his defence as Montpellier did score a third just after the re-start. Rafael's backpass was underhit and intercepted by Roussillon - the former FC Sochaux-Montbéliard man once again found Lopes immovable, but the ball ricocheted to Ninga to fire into the net.
Camara came off the bench after the hour mark and might have soon added to his Ligue 1-high tally of 16 goals as a substitute but for Lopes, who quickly closed down the Senegal international veteran to keep the scoreline respectable for the hosts, only for Camara to then get a second chance he did not pass up before Ghezzal gave OL a little consolation.
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