Soccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group F - Shakhtar Donetsk v Olympique Lyonnais - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine - December 12, 2018 Lyon's Nabil Fekir in action with Shakhtar Donetsk's Maycon REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
KHARKIV (Reuters) - Olympique Lyonnais earned the point they required to book their place in the Champions League last 16 but needed Nabil Fekir's equaliser 20 minutes into the second half to salvage a 1-1 draw away to Shakhtar Donetsk.
The French side fell behind to a goal from Junior Moraes midway through the first half and looked in danger of being overtaken in Group F by the Ukraine side and bowing out.
But Fekir's curled shot from just inside the box meant they drew for the fifth time in the group to finish as runners-up to Premier League champions Manchester City.
Soccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group F - Shakhtar Donetsk v Olympique Lyonnais - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine - December 12, 2018 Shakhtar Donetsk's Ismaily in action with Lyon's Nabil Fekir REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Lyon had never lost against Ukrainian opposition in five previous European encounters and came into the match in good form, having lost only twice in 17 matches so far this season.
They were the better team for most of the match but suffered some hair-raising moments in the final period of the game as Shakhtar threw everything forward in search of the goal that would have taken them through.
In the end, though, it was Shakhtar's inability to keep a clean sheet -- this was their eighth European match in a row where they conceded at least one goal -- that cost them dearly.
Soccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group F - Shakhtar Donetsk v Olympique Lyonnais - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine - December 12, 2018 Lyon's Memphis Depay in action with Shakhtar Donetsk's Ismaily REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
The result means Shakhtar finish in third place and go into the Europa League knockout stage.
(Reporting by Andrew Downie; editing by Martyn Herman)
Soccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group F - Shakhtar Donetsk v Olympique Lyonnais - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine - December 12, 2018 Lyon's Lucas Tousart in action with Shakhtar Donetsk's Viktor Kovalenko REUTERS/Gleb GaranichSoccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group F - Shakhtar Donetsk v Olympique Lyonnais - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine - December 12, 2018 Lyon's Nabil Fekir scores their first goal REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoSoccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group F - Shakhtar Donetsk v Olympique Lyonnais - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine - December 12, 2018 Lyon's Memphis Depay in action with Shakhtar Donetsk's Sergiy Kryvtsov REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
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