Lyon clinch top spot with draw at Real Madrid

A cheeky back-heel from Norway forward John Carew earned Olympique Lyon a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid and top spot in Champions League Group F on Wednesday.

The French champions looked to be heading for a first league defeat in either European or domestic competition this season when midfielder Guti put Real ahead with a close-range shot after a David Beckham free kick four minutes before the break.

But Lyon, who beat Real 3-0 in the opening group match, stepped up a gear after the break and the towering Carew grabbed the equaliser 18 minutes from time after a sharp cut back from substitute Sylvain Wiltord.

The result left Lyon top with an unassailable 13 points from five games, three ahead of Real who had already qualified for the knockout phase but cannot overtake the French side because of their inferior head-to-head record.

Real, still licking their wounds after a 3-0 defeat at home to arch-rivals Barcelona on Saturday, made a lively start but looked short of firepower up front with Robinho playing as a lone striker in the absence of the injured Ronaldo and Raul.

They should have taken the lead on 16 minutes after Zinedine Zidane skipped his way down the left and cut a neat pass to the feet of Guti, but the midfielder's shot was scrambled off the line by keeper Gregory Coupet.

The Spanish side were denied once more by Coupet six minutes later, this time the keeper produced a superb reflex save to beat away a point-blank header from Guti after Beckham had swept in a corner from the right.

Although Real enjoyed the better of the possession and Beckham swept in a succession of dangerous crosses into the area, Robinho struggled to make headway against the muscular Lyon back four.

The home side finally got the breakthrough from a set piece after Cris had given away a free kick for a foul on Robinho to the left of the area shortly before halftime.

Zidane miscued his header as he tried to meet Beckham's curling free kick but the ball made its way to Guti who snapped it home from six metre.

Lyon made the brighter start to the second half and Carew missed a gilt-edged chance to put his side back on level terms when he fired a close-range header past the post after good work from Sylvain Monsoreau.

Lyon coach Gerard Houllier responded by spicing up his attack with the introduction of Fred and Sylvain Wiltord midway through the half and his move paid off immediately.

Wiltord added extra pace to the Lyon attack and set up the equaliser that clinched top spot in the group with his first touch when he darted down the left-hand-side of the area.

The former Arsenal player cut back a fine pass to Carew who bamboozled Roberto Carlos and Casillas with a backheel that trickled across the line.

Lyon might even have snatched victory had Casillas not produced a superb full-stretch save to turn a rasping drive from Tiago past the post.

The draw did little to settle the nerves of the irate Real fans who called for coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo's head when he substituted the lively Beckham 10 minutes from time and jeered their team off the pitch at the final whistle.