Lyon finally taste victory in French league at 11th attempt

PARIS: Nearly six months after their last victory, seven-time champion Lyon finally got back to winning ways in the French league by beating 10-man Rennes 1-0 on Sunday.

That ended a 10-game winless run this season in the league for Lyon, whose previous win dated back last term to May 27, a 3-0 defeat of Reims.

“It’s a big release. We’ve been waiting for this win for a long time,” Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso said.

Irish center back Jake O’Brien scored from close range with a header following a corner in the 62nd minute in the Brittany city to secure a morale-boosting win.

“I feel very proud, and I’d like to thank the fans who made the trip,” said O’Brien, who joined Lyon during the offseason. “We’ll be able to build on this victory for the future. We approach every game as if it were our last, and we’ve been unlucky in the last few games.”

Despite the win, Lyon remain at the bottom of the standings with just seven points from 11 games.

The goal was a rare moment of quality in a poor game that featured the early dismissal of Rennes defender Guela Doue after just six minutes for a late tackle on Nicolas Tagliafico.

Lyon did not take advantage of the situation and struggled to create chances until O’Brien broke the deadlock from Saël Kumbedi’s cross following a corner.

The prospect of relegation still remains for Lyon, a storied club known for its record run of seven straight league titles from 2002 to 2008. The last time Lyon played in the second division was during the 1988-89 season.

The defeat extended 13th-place Rennes’ own winless run to five matches.

TOULOUSE HOLD LILLE

Lille were held to a 1-1 home draw by Toulouse after hitting the woodwork twice.

Lille extended their unbeaten run to six matches