[FRANCE] It began with three goals in the first 15 minutes and ended with both teams scoring their fifth goals in stoppage time. The 5-5 thriller between Lyon and Marseille is indicative of the resurgence of French league soccer -- better results in Europe and more goals in league play -- but, please, don't ask the respective coaches about the game. Both Lyon's Claude Puel and Marseille's Didier Deschamps had their complaints ...

Lyon-Marseille Highlights:

After going, 4-2, down, Lyon rallied on two goals from Argentine Lisandro Lopez, including a penalty, and one from Michel Bastos in stoppage time put Lyon 5-4 ahead, but Cameroonian Stephane M'Bia deep into stoppage time finished the scoring at the stade Gerland.

"It's a shame [to tie] after all the effort we put in, which we didn't get rewarded for," Puel said. "We are a little bit frustrated, even though at 4-2 down we would have settled for 4-4."

Added Deschamps, the 1998 French World Cup championship team captain, "It was a spectacular match. I think a lot of fans appreciated it. But as a coach, I didn't. We gave a lot of gifts away. We were very passive, especially on the first two goals. If we have to score six goals to win away from home then, things will become very complicated."

The person who had the right to be the most concerned was French national team goalkeeper coach Bruno Martini watching in the stands. The Bleus will have to choose between No. 1 goalkeeper Hugo Lloris of OL and No. 2 Steve Mandanda of OM for the upcoming World Cup playoff series with Ireland Nov. 14 and Nov. 18.

Lyon has already qualified for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League and Marseille beat FC Zurich, 6-1, to remain in the hunt in its group, which also included AC Milan and Real Madrid.

Bordeaux leads Ligue 1, one ahead of Lyon, and two ahead of Auxerre. Marseille is eighth but has a game in hand.

Trivia
The 5-5 tie was the fifth in French league history. The others:
1957-1958: Nice-Lille : 5-5
1937-1938: Cannes-Red Star : 5-5
1932-1933: Club Français-RC Paris : 5-5, Fives-Cannes : 5-5