Saint-Etienne welcomed Lyon in the derby du Rhone on Sunday night, looking to end their poor run against their rivals.
Les Verts hadn't beaten Les Gones at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in their last 13 clashes there, while Lyon went into the match having ended a winless run of five games last weekend.
However, Saint-Etienne's wait for a win against the old enemy continues following a last-minute defeat.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
Good evening and welcome back to Sports Mole's live coverage of Ligue 1, where Saint-Etienne take on Lyon at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
The following Tweet from @OptaJean will tell you everything you need to know about tonight's match.
28 - St Etienne have only won one of their last 28 competitive derbies against Lyon (D11 L16). Scarcity. — OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 10, 2013
With Saint-Etienne possessing the chance to move to fifth in the table with a win, against a 15th-placed Lyon side, tonight marks Les Verts best chance in years of ending that terrible run.
On the whole, Saint-Etienne have had a decent opening to the season, but have been inconsistent in parts with a few silly defeats. However, you'd still expect them to be in the European places come the end of the campaign, and go into this match off the back of a goalless draw at Sochaux last weekend.
Meanwhile, Lyon have had a highly disappointing start to the season, hence their current position of 15th in Ligue 1. However, Remi Garde will be hoping that they have finally turned the corner, after a 2-0 win over Guingamp last time out ended a run of five games without victory in the division.
However, they often say that you should throw the form book out on the window come derby day, so maybe everything else is irrelevant heading into this match.
Right, let's get the team news.
SAINT-ETIENNE XI: Ruffier, Clerc, Ghoulam, Perrin, Sall, Clement, Cohade, Corgnet, Hamouma, Mollo, Brandao
So Christophe Galtier has made four changes to the side that drew at Sochaux last weekend.
Ismael Diomande, Franck Tabanou and Mevlut Erding have all dropped to the bench, while Kurt Zouma is out until January with a 10-match ban following his red card against Sochaux when a nasty challenge on Thomas Guerbert left the midfielder with a fractured leg and ankle.
Into the team come Moustapha Sall, Renaud Cohade, Yohan Mollo and Brandao.
SAINT-ETIENNE BENCH: Moulin, Brison, Mignot, Diomande, Tabanou, Erding, Gradel
And now for Lyon.
LYON XI: Gorgelin, Bedimo, Bisevac, Lopes, Umtiti, Fofana, Gonalons, Grenier, Malbranque, Gomis, Lacazette
Remi Garde left the whole starting lineup that beat Guingamp last weekend at home for their match in the Europa League on Thursday, so again it's wholesale changes for Lyon.
However, compared to that win in Ligue 1, Garde has made two changes.
Injured goalkeeper Anthony Lopes is a long-term absentee, while Mouhamadou Dabo also misses out.
With that, Mathieu Gorgelin comes in as goalkeeper, while Miguel Lopes enters the defence. Some good news for Garde though is that first-choice goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre is back in the squad following surgery.
LYON BENCH Vercoutre, Dabo, Kone, Ferri, Gourcuff, Briand, Plea
Just a few minutes until kick off, and the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is buzzing.
Is tonight finally the night when Saint-Etienne end 19 years of hurt?
The teams are out.
KICKOFF! The match is underway.
CHANCE! Real opportunity early on from Clerc. Gorgelin flapped at a cross which fell to Clerc on the edge of the box, but he dragged his shot horribly wide of goal.
Saint-Etienne are wearing their home kit of green shirts, socks and white shorts and playing from left to right.
Lyon are in their strip of white shirts and socks with blue shorts and playing to the left.
Saint-Etienne have a free kick from 35 yards out. It should be going into the box, but Ghoulam has a pop at goal, which sails miles over the bar.
Just to add to the rivalry, Remi Garde is wearing blue and red striped trainers on the touchline with the name "Bad Gones" on them, the name of Lyon's biggest supporters group.
YELLOW CARD Bedimo is squealing on the sideline after being caught by a late challenge from Clerc.
Decent start to the game from both sides. Plenty of commitment on display. Bafetimbi Gomis is getting a lot of stick every time he gets the ball. He played over 100 times for Saint-Etienne before joining arch-rivals Lyon.
Gomis wins the ball on the right before firing an ambitious early shot wide of the near post. The home fans enjoyed that one.
It's been fairly scrappy so far, with emotions running high. The atmosphere is electric though.
CHANCE! Nice play from Mollo down the left, who dribbles to the edge of the box before hooking a cross to the far post where Brandao rises. It's a difficult chance, but Brandao should hit the target. Unfortunately for him, he heads wide.
It's a very even game at the moment, Les Verts currently on the attack.
As expected, a number of heavy challenges are flying in, but so far just Clerc has picked up a yellow.
YELLOW CARD Make that two. Brandao goes into the book for catching the back of Grenier with his studs. It's a sore one for the Lyon man on the back of the ankle.
YELLOW CARD Lyon have their first card of the match as Lacazette just runs straight into Sall. The home fans are delighted with the decision.
To say that this game is getting feisty is an understatement. It's very stop-start at the moment due to these fouls and lacking in real quality.
Better football from Lyon, which leads to Grenier having a shot on goal, but he drags it along the ground straight at Ruffier. Lyon have certainly improved over the past few minutes.
Gomis forces a wonderful save out of Ruffier with a powerful header. It wouldn't have counted anyway though as the striker was offside.
Gomis strays offside once again, he has to do better than that the Lyon striker.
Still no major chances as we approach half time, and in truth it's been pretty disappointing so far.
Gorgelin comes flying out to punch away a cross and catches Bisevac and Hamouma in the process, resulting in a break of play for the duo to receive treatment.
Both are good to continue, Lyon now have a corner.
CHANCE! Oh Bisevac! The ball bounces into the box from the corner and finds the centre-back, but he takes the opportunity like a defender and completely miskicks the ball. Should have done much better there, instead it went out towards the touchline.
Loads of rubbish is being thrown onto the field at the Lyon end of the pitch, with Gorgelin very nearly getting hit in the head with a bag of some kind then.
Fofana has a clever attempt on goal from the left of the box as he hits a shot with the outside of his boot trying to lob Ruffier. However, the Saint-Etienne keeper can hold it.
Two minutes of added time to play.
HALF TIME: Saint-Etienne 0-0 Lyon
It's been a poor first half if I'm being honest, with neither side showing a huge amount of quality. Brandao and Gomis have had the only real chances for either side in a match that has been dominated by niggly little fouls. Surely it can only get better.
Let's take a gander at the half-time statistics.
Match statistics:
Saint-Etienne:
Shots 5
On target 0
Possession 47%
Corners 1
Fouls 8
Lyon:
Shots 5
On target 1
Possession 53%
Corners 2
Fouls 9
The teams are making their way back out onto the field. This game needs an early goal to open it out in the second half.
KICKOFF! Saint-Etienne, playing from right to left, get the match back underway.
GOAL! Saint-Etienne 0-1 Lyon (Alexandre Lacazette)
Ask and you shall receive, we have an early goal in the half and Lyon lead. Bedimo crosses for Gomis in the box, who forces a wonderful save from Ruffier, but Lacazette is quickest to the loose ball and he powerfully side-foots home the opener. First blood Lyon.
Good response by Les Verts who are now taking the attack to Lyon, but the away side are defending strongly at the moment.
Saint-Etienne are piling on the pressure at the moment, but Lyon are hanging in there. The crowd are right behind the home side.
Gorgelin twice flaps at the ball from an incoming cross, but just manages to get both away under pressure.
YELLOW CARD Clement Grenier is cautioned for pushing Hamouma in the back. Such a silly foul to give away. Decent free kick now for Saint-Etienne.
Worrying moment for Gorgelin, who came out to claim the cross and missed it before landing awkwardly on his shoulder. He looks dodgy, and Saint-Etienne will be targeting this.
While he is a bit shaky, it's amazing to think that it's taken Saint-Etienne nearly an hour to discover this.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Former Leicester City, Leeds United and Bournemouth man Max Gradel is on, in place of Mollo.
GOAL! Saint-Etienne 1-1 Lyon (Romain Hamouma)
What a finish from Hamouma, and Saint-Etienne are deservedly level. The cross is nodded down at the far post, and Hamouma pulls off an overhead kick off the bounce to guide the ball into the far corner. The home fans have gone wild. Game on.
It's very cliche, but this really has been a game of two halves. The first was awful, the second has been great.
MISS! Saint-Etienne should be ahead, but Brandao has missed a sitter. Gorgelin again comes for a corner and completely misses it, but Brandao heads over at the far post.
SAVE! Positive play from Gradel, who teases the Lyon backline, he then fires a shot at goal, but Gorgelin can save.
OFF THE BAR! Loic Perrin stayed forward for the attack and heads against the bar from a Cohade cross. He's so unlucky, and it seems only a matter of time before they go ahead.
LYON CHANGES Jimmy Briand places Gomis, while Yoann Gourcuff is on for Malbranque.
SAVE! Clerc finds room on the right of the area and drills a shot at goal, but Gorgelin makes a good stop. Good build-up from Max Gradel.
Lyon are now starting to get back into the game more, with Ruffier being forced to collect a couple of tough crosses.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Diomande is on in place of the impressive Cohade.
CLOSE! Hamouma whips in a great ball from a free kick on the left which Gorgelin again comes for. He gets nowhere near it, but luckily for him, neither does anyone else, and it goes out for a goal kick.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Franck Tabanou is on in place of Hamouma.
Gradel with a bit of selfish play as he cracks one from the edge of the box. He should pass it wide but misses the target instead.
LYON CHANGE Miguel Lopes is taken off, with Dabo on in his place.
Gradel finds himself in a lot of space out on the right flank, but his cross is poor and a real waste.
Two minutes to play, can either side find a winner.
SAVE! Lyon have their first real attack since the goal, and the ball falls to Brian on the edge of the box. He takes it on his chest and hits a powerful shot just under the crossbar, which Ruffier is forced to palm over.
We will have three minutes of added time.
GOAL! Saint-Etienne 1-2 Lyon (Jimmy Briand)
Unbelievable! Lyon have stolen it in the last minute to pile more misery on Saint-Etienne. Gourcuff curls in a cross from the left, and a brilliant header from Briand powers past Ruffier in what was the final touch of the match.
FULL TIME: Saint-Etienne 1-2 Lyon
What drama at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard! Lyon snatch it at the depth to continue their record at the home of their arch-rivals.
Jimmy Briand scored the winner with the last touch of the ball in a thrilling second half after Romain Hamouma had cancelled out Alexandre Lacazette's opener.
Before I go, let's take a look at the full-time statistics.
Match statistics:
Saint-Etienne:
Shots 14
On target 4
Possession 52%
Corners 6
Fouls 11
Lyon:
Shots 9
On target 4
Possession 48%
Corners 3
Fouls 18
Well that's it from me. I hope you enjoyed today's games. Until the next time, it's goodnight from me.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
