Though the hosts started with high tempo, with the effervescent Neymar threatening, Le Roy’s side grew into the first half spectacularly. An increasingly confident Luis Alberto showed why the club have persisted with him for so many seasons with two goals in three minutes, his second in particular a nigh-unstoppable thunderbolt. Lambert’s men rallied, with a Zapata effort millimetres from crossing the line, and eventually their Brazilian winger had his say. First picked out for a tap-in by Firmino and then firing home an equaliser from the inside-left channel, Neymar demonstrated his quality. Les Canards looked nervous at the end but neither side could cry too much about the draw.

By Winifred Chompnozzle