Football
Mark Rodden 9y

Lyon are not a top European team yet, says defender Christophe Jallet

#INSERT type:image caption:Jallet put Lyon in front at Gent, but they could not hold their lead. END#

Lyon full-back Christophe Jallet said his side's below-par Champions League performance on Wednesday showed that they are not yet ready for top-level European competition.

Last season's Ligue 1 runners-up drew 1-1 at Belgian champions Gent, missing a late penalty that would have given them all the points.

Jallet, 31, was introduced for Rafael at half-time on Wednesday as the visitors sought to take advantage with a tactical shakeup when Gent were reduced to 10 men by the 41st-minute sending-off of Brecht Dejaegere.

But although he put Lyon in front with a header from a corner on 58 minutes, Danijel Milicevic levelled before Alexandre Lacazette saw his penalty saved.

The French visitors were outplayed in the first half-hour, and Jallet said: "We were shifted around this evening, even when they had 10 players.

"We asked ourselves if we were a European [top quality] team -- we've proved that we aren't really for the moment."

Lyon captain Maxime Gonalons told Canal Plus: "We didn't play a good first 30 minutes. They posed us problems tactically."

Gent's adventurous approach won admirers, and captain Sven Kums told L'Equipe: "We knew we could reach a good level if everyone gave everything, so this result is not a surprise."

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