Bottom-of-the-table Auxerre had lost their previous four matches without finding the back of the net; still, that torrid run appeared to have ended on the scoring front after 13 minutes as Rudy Matondo rifled the ball past Greif from the edge of the penalty area.
However, to the disappointment of the majority inside the stadium, referee Thomas Leonard controversially ruled out the midfielder’s effort for a foul in the build-up.
There surely would have been more anger flowing around the ground if Donovan Leon hadn’t produced a stunning one-handed save to stop Martin Satriano’s fierce effort from flying into the back of the net not long after.
Leonard temporarily put himself back in the good books of the home crowd by awarding a penalty after Moussa Niakhate unsportingly barged Sekou Mara off the ball.
Nevertheless, the early celebrations from the Diplomates’ faithful turned into anguish as Greif brilliantly guessed the right direction of Lassine Sinayoko’s powerful spot-kick.
The hosts continued to probe for the opener, but Mara’s first-time strike was well-saved by Lyon’s hero of the first half, Greif, as an action-packed opening 45 minutes came to an end.
Not seen at his attacking best in the first half, Lyon’s Portuguese prodigy Afonso Moreira nearly made an immediate impact after the restart with a flying 48th-minute header, which appeared to be sneaking into the bottom corner.
However, Leon arguably produced a better one-handed save than the one he denied Satriano with in the first half, which kept the game goalless.
Stunning saves were the main course on Sunday’s menu at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, as Greif got in on the party by redirecting Sinayoko’s fierce effort from inside the area over the crossbar.
Unlike the majority of the contest, the second half petered out in less entertaining circumstances, as Greif capped off his superb performance by denying Danny Namaso in the 82nd minute with another expert save.
A goalkeeping masterpiece from both Greif and Leon earned Lyon and Auxerre a point apiece at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, but Auxerre have now won just twice in 13 matches this season (D2, L9).
Meanwhile, European hopefuls Lyon, who were missing no less than eight players due to injury and suspension, will surely take a point from the game, albeit against the league’s bottom club, considering they were playing away from home.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dominik Greif (Lyon)
