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Bastos brace fires Lyon to win

Tel Aviv - Brazilian midfielder Michel Bastos again proved Olympique Lyon's matchwinner with a first-half double in a 3-1 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv in Champions League Group B on Wednesday.

Bastos, who hit the only goal in Lyon's win over Schalke in their opening game, struck with a penalty after seven minutes after Hapoel captain Walid Badier brought down Jimmy Briand.

Lyon doubled their lead in the 36th minute when Bastos blasted in from 25m following a corner.

Hapoel, making their home debut in the competition at their compact Bloomfield Stadium, got one back through goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama's 79th-minute penalty before substitute Miralem Pjanic sealed Lyon's win in stoppage time.

Victory will ease some of the pressure on Lyon coach Claude Puel, under-fire for his side's poor start to their Ligue 1 campaign.

The technical skills of Hapoel's players were rarely in evidence as Lyon's speed in attack and assuredness in defence did not allow the hosts to take advantage throughout the match, played on a hot, humid Tel Aviv night.

Bastos's penalty set the tone for Lyon's dominance throughout the first half when they appeared to throw their entire team forward and then quickly hurry back to close down the defence allowing Hapoel no leeway.

Hapoel did threaten following a melee in the Lyon area but the French side went 2-0 up when Bastos let fly with an unstoppable shot that fizzed past Enyeama.

The heat appeared to take an edge off the game in the second half and Lyon's defence was a little less tight, allowing Hapoel striker Etey Shechter the chance to find a way into the French area but he and his team mates still lacked the pace needed to break down their superior opponents.

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