Briand scores late equaliser to push deserving Lyon above AC Milan

JIMMY BRIAND scored a late equaliser as Lyon denied AC Milan a smash-and-grab victory in their second and final Emirates Cup match yesterday.

Last year's Champions League semi-finalists from France completely dominated against the seven-time European Cup winners but were made to pay for a host of missed chances when Marco Borriello put Milan ahead ten minutes after half-time.

Lyon piled on the pressure and were eventually rewarded in the final ten minutes when summer signing Briand headed home Miralem Pjanic's right-wing cross at the far post.

The result was both sides' second draw of the weekend, but Lyon finished a point better off than their opponents on five points in a competition in which goals also equal points.

Pjanic struck the post as Lyon missed several early chances, while Simone Verdi also had two good opportunities for Milan.

Marco Amelia denied Briand with a sprawling save and Pjanic finished weakly before the break, after which Alexander Merkel saw a header tipped over.

A brilliant Clarence Seedorf ball over the top set up Milan's goal, Hugo Lloris saving from Borriello but straight to Merkel, who squared for his team-mate to bundle home.

Pjanic and Briand missed more good opportunities, and the latter had a penalty shout turned down before Maxime Gonalons hit the bar when the goal was at his mercy.

Lyon's persistence was finally rewarded and Briand also missed a great chance to snatch what would have been a deserved victory.

In Saturday's opening Emirates Cup matches, Marouane Chamakh scored on his Arsenal debut to help his new club to a 1-1 draw with AC Milan.

After Georgios Samaras scored in the 89th minute to give Celtic a 2-2 draw with Lyon in the first game, Morocco striker Chamakh drifted onto a 36th-minute through ball by Andrei Arshavin to tap past goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.

Alexandre Pato equalized for Milan in the 76th when he got a faint touch with his head to Clarence Seedorf's free kick, guiding it in at the far post.

Lyon had been leading Celtic 2-0 with eight minutes left before Gary Hooper swept in a right-wing cross and Samaras headed in from close range.

Michel Bastos had put the French side ahead in the 28th minute with a curling free kick to the top corner, and Harry Novillo doubled the advantage nine minutes into the second period with a smashed 12-metre shot from Alexandre Lacazette's low right-wing cross. Celtic played some entertaining football but wayward finishing by Milan Midsun and Marc-Antoine Fortune denied them further goals.

"We conceded two poor goals from our point of view but you can't have everything," Celtic manager Neil Lennon said. "It's a pre-season game and you can't read too much into it but I'm pleased with the performance. They'll just get confidence from the performance, never mind the comeback."