Ligue 1 Review: Lacazette blow adds to Lyon frustrations

Lyon failed to cap off a positive few days with victory against Lorient in their Ligue 1 opener and saw star striker Alexandre Lacazette hobble off.

Lacazette signed a new one-year contract extension with the club on Saturday – the French club having also completed the signing of full-back Rafael da Silva from Manchester United recently.

However, the hosts were frustrated at the Stade de Gerland by a Lorient side who could have nicked maximum points when Samuel Umtiti glanced Raphael Guerreiro’s strike off the line via the crossbar

Rafael was introduced after the break but the evening ended on a sour note for Hubert Fournier’s men as stand-in captain Lacazette was forced off holding his back after colliding with goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.

Earlier in the day, Reims and Saint-Etienne – two of last season’s strugglers – picked up impressive opening-weekend victories against Bordeaux and Toulouse respectively.

Olivier Guegan’s men fell behind to Wahbi Khazri’s opener four minutes before the break but produced an impressive late comeback at the Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas courtesy of Nicolas de Preville and Theoson Siebatcheu.

The pair scored inside the final 10 minutes to turn the game on its head before Toulouse did similar at home to Saint-Etienne.

The visitors finished 11 places higher than their hosts last term and started well – taking an 18th-minute lead through captain Loic Perrin.

However, Martin Braithwaite levelled with a free-kick before the break and Wissam Ben Yedder rounded off the scoring with another set-piece.

Aleksandar Pesic was sent off late on for a poor challenge on Perrin – visiting boss Christophe Galtier and opposite number Dominique Arribage sent to the stands in the aftermath.