Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, center, reacts as Hoffenheim players celebrate their side’s 2nd goal during a Champions League group F soccer match between Lyon and Offenheim in Decines, near Lyon, central France, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
LYON, France—Pavel Kaderabek scored in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for 10-man Hoffenheim at Lyon on Wednesday and keep alive a glimmer of hope for the German club in the tournament.
With Manchester City thrashing Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 in Group F’s other game, a loss would have put Hoffenheim out of contention. But Kaderabek, a Czech international, put the teams level with a simple finish from a free kick two minutes into added time after being left unmarked at the far post.
Lyon would have taken a big step toward the knockout phase with a win but wasted a two-goal lead and could not take advantage of Kasim Adams Nuhu’s sending off in the 51st minute following a second yellow card for a foul on Nabil Fekir.
City leads the group with nine points, three more than Lyon. Hoffenheim is in third place with three points ahead of Shakhtar on two.
Fekir and Tanguy Ndombele scored first-half goals for the seven-time French champions before Croatia forward Andrej Kramaric pulled one back after the interval for Hoffenheim.
Lyon coach Bruno Genesio experimented with a new system, playing with three center-halves for the first time this season. But his players struggled to adapt to the strategic move and the visitors dominated early exchanges.
They camped in Lyon’s half for prolonged periods until defender Ferland Mendy hit the woodwork in the 19th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the area.
Fekir recovered the ball from the rebound but could not beat keeper Oliver Baumann, who denied an effort from Tanguy Ndombele straight afterward. A scramble in the box followed and resulted in Fekir founding the net from close range with his right foot in the 20th minute.
Hoffenheim had an excellent chance to level nearly immediately but Anthony Lopes made a terrific save to deny a point-blank strike from Ishak Belfodil from a corner.
With the momentum gone, Hoffenheim went two goals down in the 28th minute as Ndombele connected with a cut-back pass from Mendy just inside the box at the end of a fast move and rifled a shot that took a deflection and wrongfooted Baumann.
Kramaric scored in the 65th minute with a fine shot from outside the box before Kaderabek came to the German club’s rescue in added time.