Saint-Étienne vs. Olympique Lyon

The match started at breakneck pace with Kévin Mirallas with the first chance for Saint-Etienne, before Lisandro Lopez struck a post at the other end. Les Verts suffered a blow when skipper and midfield inspiration Blaise Matuidi was forced off with an ankle injury.

Argentinian striker Gonzalo Bergessio nearly put the hosts 1-0 up, hitting the bar with a header from a Dimitri Payet corner after beating OL keeper Hugo Lloris to the ball.

Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic and Govou got efforts in on goal early in the second half as OL began to assert their authority. After beating the offside trap to meet Aly Cissokho's pass, Lisandro saw his close-range shot diverted on to the bar by Jérémie Janot, the Saint-Etienne goalkeeper in search of his first win over OL at the tenth time of asking.

Gomis replaced Lisandro with 20 minutes to play and was booed on to the field by supporters who had been on his case in his final season as a Les Verts player as well. Gomis' form this season in his new colours has seen him force his way back into the France reckoning and there was a certain sense of inevitability about Gomis scoring the winner. Janot pushed a corner from Gomis' fellow sub Kim Källström straight into the 24-year-old's path and he had the simplest of tasks of stabbing the ball into the back of the net for his fifth Ligue 1 goal of the season.

A vital three points for OL, who climb to second and maintain the pressure on Bordeaux. Saint-Etienne stay in 16th place, a single point above the relegation zone.