Olympique Lyonnais 2-2 Real Madrid: Los Blancos leave it late to spare Ancelotti's blushes
Real Madrid scored twice in the closing 12 minutes to claim a 2-2 draw from an entertaining friendly against Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade de Gerland on Wednesday night.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti looked set to suffer his first defeat in just his second game at the helm of Los Blancos, with Clement Grenier and Lisandro having put the hosts in complete command of the contest.
However, Alvaro Morata slotted home a penalty before Casemiro headed home an equalizer with just six minutes left to rescue the game for Madrid.
Given that Lyon is much further along in preseason preparations, it was hardly surprising when the French side made the brighter start at the Gerland. Grenier forced Diego Lopez into action after just over 60 seconds of play with a smart volley from the edge of the area.
Madrid, by contrast, started sluggishly and though Cristiano Ronaldo briefly flickered into life 15 minutes in, the visitor found itself behind just before the midway point of the first half.
There appeared to be little danger to the Blancos goal when Alexandre Lacazette whipped in a low cross from the right wing, but it reached Grenier, who, while moving away from goal, managed to beat Lopez with the most wonderfully nonchalant volley.
Madrid almost posted an instant reply, but the alert Anthony Lopes cleared the danger, after Angel Di Maria looked poised to pounce on an under-hit backpass.
The Argentina winger threatened again with a dipping, long-range effort just before the half-hour mark but, as it was, Carlo Ancelotti’s men went in a goal down at the end of a reasonably competitive opening half.
The second half opened in a similarly entertaining fashion, with both Lacazette and Di Maria continuing to look threatening. It was the former, though, who again made a decisive contribution, as the Lyon No. 10 headed a Gael Danic cross down into the path of Lisandro, who swept the ball past Lopez.
The virtually anonymous Ronaldo was hauled off soon after, so it was left to Morata to drag Madrid back into the game when Fares Bahlouli felled Denis Cheryshev in the area.
Los Blancos drove forward in the closing 10 minutes and were rewarded for their resilience when Casemiro rose highest to head home a corner from Di Maria and spare former Paris Saint-Germain boss Ancelotti a painful return to France.