Lyon prolonged their Champions League qualification hopes with a clinical performance in the 4-2 victory over Stuttgart and thereby completing the double over the German team.

Hatem Ben Arfa and Kim Kallstrom had put Lyon 2 goals up early in the game before Mario Gomez got one back for the visitors. Ben Arfa restored the two goal lead 7 minutes before half time but Gomez bagged his second nine minutes after the break before Juninho completed the proceedings late in injury time.

Needing a win in order to keep their Champions League hopes alive, Lyon were quick off their starting blocks and took the lead in the 6th minute when Ben Arfa was played in by Kallstrom's lay-off and the French midfielder made no mistake in slotting the ball past Raphael Schäfer.

Kallstrom turned scorer nine minutes later when some brilliant work by Sidney Govou saw him beat two Stuttgart defenders before crossing the ball into the path of Kallstrom who smashed the ball to double Lyon's lead. However the visitors grabbed one back in the next minute when keeper Remy Vercoutre could only manage to block Hitzlsperger's shot straight to Gomez who was left with a simple finish from close range.

It was not long before Lyon restored the two goal lead with a brilliant goal by Ben Arfa in the 37th minute as the 20-year old dribbled past Ludovic Magnin before launching a stinging drive into the top corner of the net. With the prospect of elimination looming large, Stuttgrat came out attacking in the second half and were rewarded with a goal nine minutes later when Gomez latched on to Andreas Beck's

Stuttgart had a great chance to come back in the game when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 60th minute. However Hitzlsperger made a mess of the opportunity and saw his shot saved by Vercoutre. Juninho added a fourth deep in injury time when he prodded home Anthony Reveillere's cross to complete the rout for Lyon.