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Rival supporters throw flares and chairs in violent clashes ahead of Lyon vs Saint-Etienne Ligue 1 fixture – watch
One of the most highly anticipated matches of the Ligue 1 season takes place this evening as fierce rivals Lyon and Saint-Etienne clash at the Groupama Stadium.
The Derby du Rhone is one of the fiercest in the French game, and drama often occurs off the pitch just as much as it does on it.
And there was drama on the eve of Sunday's fixture as Lyon and Saint-Etienne supporters clashed in violent scenes.
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Videos on social media show more than 100 rival fans facing off in the Lyon backstreets on Saturday night, with police later intervening.
The opposing groups of supporters could be seen throwing items such as flares and chairs at each other, with Lyon fans then allegedly charging into a large group of the Saint-Etienne faithful to scrap.
Smaller fights also occurred after many ASSE fans ran away, though these eventually died down before police arrived.
claim the visiting Saint-Etienne supporters were banned from entering Lyon from 12am this morning, meaning they turned up at around 8pm on Saturday evening to get in before the curfew.
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The two rivals clash this evening amid disappointing seasons for the pair; Lyon are ninth after 27 games while Saint-Etienne are all the way down in 16th - only two points clear of the relegation play-off spot - with the same number of matches played.
The most recent Derby du Rhone took place last October at Saint-Etienne's Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. The hosts won 1-0 as Robert Beric scored in the final minute of the game to down Lyon and secure victory.
You can watch a clip of the scenes in Lyon, above...
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