Not every Montpellier win has to be 3-2 or 5-3. Presented with the challenge of dealing with Lyon at home, Rene Girard’s team came through with flying colours, defending stoutly and patiently breaking down their opponents before finally breaking through in the second half.
Montpellier Vs. Lyon, 2012 Ligue 1: Montpellier Cruise To 1-0 Win
It was Olivier Giroud who scored the only goal of the match, but there was plenty of football played before the 25-year-old nutmegged Hugo Lloris in the 62nd minute. The chances all fell to the home side, with Remy Cabella hitting the post in spectacular fashion and John Utaka looking certain to score before a desperate Lyon defence could scramble away.
The visitors essentially did nothing all match, and they were seemingly content to simply shut up shop and hope Montpellier wouldn’t score. Over the course of the game, Lyon managed just three shots, with none testing Geoffrey Jourdren, and even after they went down they never looked as though they felt like throwing bodies forward. The hosts were positive, elegant and phenomenally good at shutting their guests down, and after 90 minutes plus three stoppages came away with a thoroughly deserved win over a major rival for the Champions League qualification spots.
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