Lyon climbed to the summit of Ligue 1 after securing a 3-1 victory over Auxerre at home on Friday, September 4.
The hosts made their dominance count with two goals in quick succession during the first half.
Felix Bacher opened the scoring in the 28th minute, directing a close-range header into the net after meeting Ernest Nuamah’s delivery from a corner.
Just three minutes later, Lyon doubled their advantage.
Loïs Openda created the opportunity for Zachary Athekame, who produced a right-footed strike from outside the penalty area to beat the Auxerre defence.
Auxerre responded before the break when Cameron Archer reduced the deficit with a composed finish from inside the box in the 42nd minute.
Lyon restored their two-goal cushion eight minutes after half-time.
Nuamah found the net with his left foot, although the goal had to survive a VAR review before it was confirmed.
Auxerre goalkeeper Mamadou Diop prevented the visitors from falling further behind, making several important saves.
His best intervention came in the 69th minute when he denied Openda from close range.
The visitors continued to search for another opening, but Lyon remained in control. Kaïl Boudache came close to adding further drama late in the game when his effort struck the crossbar in the 89th minute.
Lyon finished with 63.4% possession and 21 attempts, including seven efforts on target, while Auxerre managed eight attempts overall.
The result lifts Lyon from fourth to first place in Ligue 1. Their next fixture will see them travel to Paris FC, while Auxerre will return home to face Nice.
